


Family Affairs

by Eleni_Sk



Series: Coronas and Viruses [4]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Because they deserved better, College, College AU, F/M, Gen, Klaroline Forever!, No Sammantha Clayton, RObert and Moira not so much, She is the best, Thea is amazing, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vampire Diaries Characters - Freeform, and i love them, college pregnancy, i will fight you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:48:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 75,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25974688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eleni_Sk/pseuds/Eleni_Sk
Summary: “What are we going to do?” she asked softly after a few minutes.“What do you want to do?” Oliver knew that he wanted the baby, but it wasn’t his decision to make. It wasn’t his body.“I don’t think- I don’t think I can have an abortion.” She whispered.“We’re having a baby, then.” he smiled softly. And truthfully, he was excited, very much so.“A tiny little human,” a ghost of a smile settled on her lips.It was scary, what was to come, but they were going to deal with it. Together.
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson, Damon Salvatore/Lexi Branson, John Diggle/Lyla Michaels, Oliver Queen & Thea Queen, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, Thea Queen & Felicity Smoak, Tommy Merlyn & Felicity Smoak, Tommy Merlyn & Oliver Queen, Tommy Merlyn & Thea Queen
Series: Coronas and Viruses [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1698355
Comments: 691
Kudos: 501





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, hello there! It's so good to see you again! And I am back with another story! I have been working on this for some time now and I am proud of what it has become! I had to do quite a bit of research, but I think I did fairly well. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! As always, stay safe and make sure to leave me a comment! I would love to read your thoughts! XXXX

Oliver Queen sighted, as he entered his apartment. It had been a busy night at the bar he worked at. Hah, the Queen heir worked at a bar to make ends meet. The tabloids would have a field day with it, but thankfully he had managed to stay off the radar.

He had had a major fight with his parents the last time he saw them, about eighteen months ago. His last words his father had said to him were that he didn’t want to hear from him again unless he got his MBA. He cut him off his trust fund completely. At that time, he only had whatever money he had in his personal account and the cash in his room. He was screwed. He only had a few thousand dollars to go to Boston, as he was set to start at Harvard and live off of until he could find a job. At least his tuition was paid for. That was something.

He found his sister and told her what had happened. And Thea was pissed. What their father had said meant that she wouldn’t be able to see her brother all that much, if at all. And then she started planning. She left him in her room, completely confused, ordering him to wait there. She returned fifteen minutes later, with her hands full of towels and sheets. Then she left again and brought him blankets and pillows.

“Take them, that’ll save you a few hundred dollars, at least. And no one is going to realize they are missing.” She had said.

He didn’t leave the house for several days after that, despite Tommy’s best efforts. He spent most of his time with Thea and when she was in school, he spent his time trying to figure out what the fuck he was going to do. He needed to get a job asap in Boston, that was for sure. And he also wanted to stay off the radar. He was determined to prove to his parents how wrong they were about him. And he was going to do that, no matter what.

Thea had a lot to say about staying off the radar. The first thing that came out of her mouth was that he needed a proper haircut, and not a serial killer one. He had also developed a stubble beard, which he liked. Thea had dragged him to a hair salon to cut his hair. And in the end, he was thankful for it, because he liked it and he looked completely different. He had also managed to sell his Porsche, so at least he had some money until he could find a job. And good money, seeing as it was new and lightly used.

He spent a good deal of time on YouTube doing research. He watched a lot of videos about budgets and how to save money. He even learned about coupons.

The week leading to his flight, Thea was devasted. And he wasn’t doing much better. He was going to miss his sister a lot. he promised to call and text every day, through Messenger because cell phone bills were expensive. He was thinking about getting a local number because the phone bill alone was going to break the bank. With that in mind, he grabbed his old phone, too. It wasn’t that old. He had it for about six months before the new model hit the market. It sounded silly now, getting new phones every six months.

Tommy took him to the airport. Thea had skipped school that day to see her brother off and her parents could just suck it. It was their fault she wasn’t going to see her brother in god-knows how long!

His four large suitcases barely fit in Tommy’s car, but they managed to close the trunk. The ride to the airport was silent. Oliver sat on the back with Thea and she didn’t let go of his hand even for a moment.

“I’ll miss you so much, Speedy,” he hugged her tightly when it was time for him to board.

“I’ll miss you, too,” she sniffed. “Don’t forget to call me when you land, okay?”

“First thing I do,” he assured her.

“Take care buddy,” Tommy gave him a bro hug.

“You, too, Tommy. And keep an eye out for Thea, will you?”

“You don’t even have to ask. I’m going to be her new best friend,” Tommy promised.

With another hug from Thea, it was time for Oliver to go. The next six hours were uncomfortable. His father had booked him a coach ticket and his legs were cramped. At least, he managed to sleep through most of the flight.

He finally reached Boston after six hours. He disembarked and called Thea on his way to pick up his suitcases. He had decided to rent a car for the day, as he was going to see a few places to rent and he needed to make a trip to IKEA to buy some furniture.

He rented a small car and was on his way. He saw seven apartments that day, before settling for a little one-bedroom apartment. When he signed the lease, he got his things upstairs and then left for IKEA. He only had three hours before they closed for the day and he had to get a few things and go to the grocery store.

He got some basic bedroom furniture, a table with four chairs that were on sale that was going to act as his desk as well, some bathroom things and kitchen equipment. He was going to get a sofa and a bookcase after he got a job. He was going to start looking the following day.

The bed couldn’t fit in the car, so he had it delivered, meaning he was going to be sleeping on the mattress on the floor until it arrived.

He made a quick stop to the grocery store for some bare necessities and then returned to his apartment. He spent a couple of hours putting it together before crashing.

The following morning, he had gone job hunting, but with no luck, unfortunately. He was lucky the day after that, however. Surprisingly, he had found a bar in need of a bartender. The owner, Anne, had made him mix a variety of drinks, all of which were taste-tested by herself and the waitresses before the decision was made. He was hired and starting the same day. The salary was good, too, and Oliver had kind of befriended one of the waitresses. Her name was Felicity and she was an MIT student. And she was a goth. She was trying to appear cold and uninterested, but her warm personality was babbling from inside her. And she babbled, a lot. it was cute.

His first week at the bar went by smoothly. He worked great with the girls and he had picked up a few tricks to increase his tips. And he made good money from it. He was living on a budget, saving as much money as he could, without actually being deprived, because who knew what could happen. Plus, he was saving to visit Starling for a few days for Christmas. He had also kept the promise to himself to get a sofa and a bookcase after he found a job. He had also gotten a local number.

Harvard was a challenge for him, he had to work hard on it, but thankfully Felicity was helping him with all of his math courses. She was godsent really.

He had a routine with Thea, too. They texted every day to check-in on one another and FaceTimed every Tuesday, Thursday, and on weekends. Those calls tended to be a little shorter because Fridays and Saturdays were the busiest days (and those with the best tips) and Oliver was either dead tired or had to leave earlier for work.

As the weeks passed, Oliver found himself being drawn to Felicity more and more. He had never felt a connection like that for a woman. He was excited to go into work because he was going to see her and during the night, his eyes would seek her out. She made him feel comfortable and warm on the inside and his stomach would do a flip flop every time they touched. And Thea enjoyed teasing him. He had thought about asking her out, but she had a boyfriend. A guy named Cooper. He met him once. He didn’t like him. He had spent an entire call complaining to Thea.

He had managed to take three days off before the Christmas rush and visit Thea. He had missed the little bugger. He worked on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and on Boxing Day. He didn’t mind, plus the tips were really good.

By the time February rolled around, Oliver and Felicity had become great friends and they even met outside of work.

And then, one evening, she came into work, without her usual makeup, and with red eyes. She had been crying.

“Felicity? What’s wrong?” he asked concerned.

“I-I caught Cooper trying to steal my project.” She sniffled “I broke up with him.”

Oliver pulled her in a hug, trying to ignore how perfectly she fit in his arms and tried to give her as much comfort as he could. “I’m sorry.” He tried to sound sympathetic, even though he was happy about it.

“It’s not your fault.” She sighed contently; her nose still buried in his chest.

“Come on, you, my lady need a shot.” He went behind the bar and poured her a vodka shot.

“Thanks.” She grabbed it and downed it. She winced a little, but she was okay other than that

Oliver asked her out one month later. She said yes. Thea cheered when he told her. The first time they kissed, Oliver thought he had died and gone to heaven.

Bit by bit, Felicity started dropping her goth persona. First was the makeup; she wore very little and her lipsticks were either pink or red. She stopped dying her hair and she even started lightening the color, until she turned it to a buttery blonde, which suited her perfectly. Her clothes changed too; she wore brighter, and more form-fitting pieces.

Felicity knew who he was, he had told her. She knew everything, about who he was and the situation with his parents, with whom he hadn’t exchanged a word since their fight. And she hadn’t cared one bit. Thea had insisted on meeting her after two months, and the two had hit it off. Oliver loved it.

He had also completed his first year at Harvard. Felicity had moved in temporarily during the summer so that she didn’t have to pay the extra fees at the dorm. They decided that they liked living together by the time she had to apply for housing and decided to give it a shot, even if it was early in their relationship. They loved waking up cuddled together and having sex whenever they wanted.

“Wanna shower first?” Felicity’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. She had kicked off her shoes and had come to stand by his side.

“No, go ahead. I’ll make us a quick salad and I’ll shower after we eat.” He pulled her close to him and gave her a soft kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She beamed. Those three words were a newer development and Oliver couldn’t get enough of it.

It had been a difficult shift that night. Most Fridays were, but that night was a full moon. And that affected everyone. People did crazy shit during the full moon, plus it was the end of the first week of the new semester, so people were a little wild.

An hour or so later, the moon seemed to influence them too. It was the first time Oliver had a condom break on him.

They hadn’t thought much of it, until two months later, when Felicity realized that she had missed two periods.

“Oliver?” she called coming out of the bathroom. He was in the kitchen prepping their lunch, Felicity was banned from cooking after almost burning down the house.

“Yeah?”

“I’m late.” She said nervously.

“For what?” he frowned, turning to look at her.

“No, no, not like that. I’m late, as in my period is late. Two months late to be exact.”

“Oh.” He blinked and for a moment he forgot how to breathe. “Okay, okay. Do you want me to go get a test?”

“Yeah.” She admitted, almost shyly.

“Hey, Felicity,” he approached her and gently cupped her face, “whatever happens, we will figure it out. Together. Okay?”

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She was already panicking, and her eyes were full of tears. Oliver kissed her and left for the pharmacy. He returned ten minutes later with two boxes.

Quietly, Felicity went to the bathroom to take them and returned a minute later with the sticks and a timer. They sat on the sofa, and Oliver pulled her into his lap, enveloping in her in his arms. “Whatever happens, I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” He assured her. He knew that she had abandonment issues, ever since her father walked out on her and her mother when she was seven and he hated him for that. But he did his best to assure her that he was not her father, every day. “I love you”

“I love you, too.” She said and kissed his arm.

They stayed like that until the timer went off. They both stiffened. Oliver reached out and turned the timer off.

“Can you … can you look? I don’t think I can.” Felicity whispered.

“Yeah, of course.” He kissed the top of her head and picked up the tests. They were both positive. “They’re positive, sweetheart.”

He felt her tense the moment the words left his mouth. But he didn’t budge. He wrapped his arms securely around her and rubbed comforting circles on her back while trying his best to assure her that everything was going to be fine. And that he wasn’t going anywhere.

“What are we going to do?” she asked softly after a few minutes.

“What do you want to do?” Oliver knew that he wanted the baby, but it wasn’t his decision to make. It wasn’t his body.

“I don’t think- I don’t think I can have an abortion.” She whispered.

“We’re having a baby, then.” he smiled softly. And truthfully, he was excited, very much so.

“A tiny little human,” a ghost of a smile settled on her lips.

It was scary, what was to come, but they were going to deal with it. Together.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome back!! So, I'm enjoying writing this so much! I hope you like it, too. By the way, all the information I have on pregnancy is entirely by googling. I found a site that had facts about pregnancy week by week and I went with it. As always, don't forget to let me know what you think and stay safe!! XXXX

They booked an appointment at a nearby free clinic for the next day. That night, Oliver couldn’t help but follow her with his eyes as she came and went from the bar to the tables. He just wanted her to be okay. He had to force himself to look away to work. Thankfully, their tips weren’t affected. They were going to need the money, now that they were having a baby.

He held her a little tighter that night, trying to make her feel safe and secure. He told her he loved her more, too. He felt it as a victory when she told him ‘I love you’ back and kissed his neck.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” he said when she woke up the next morning. Felicity was wrapped around him, snuggling to his chest, and Oliver had his arms around her.

“Good morning, what time is it?” she buried her nose deeper in his chest.

“A few minutes after seven,” he said rubbing her back.

“We have to get up,” she groaned.

“We can snuggle for a few more minutes.”

“Yes, please,” she hummed. Oliver smiled and kissed her head.

But they did have to get up eventually. Classes started at nine for both of them. Oliver got up first and started on breakfast. When Felicity entered the kitchen and the smell of coffee hit her, she rushed to the bathroom and threw up.

Oliver followed her, worry all over his face. He reached and kneeled next to her, keeping her hair out of her face and rubbing gentle circles on her back.

“I guess that means no more coffee for me,” she sighed, sitting back.

“I’m sorry.”

“it’s not your fault, Oliver. Well, I guess it’s half your fault, but you know what I mean, right?”

“I do,” he chuckled. “Stay here for a moment, I’m going to throw it away. I don’t want you getting sick, again.

“Aw, you’re not going to have coffee either?”

“Babe, if you can’t have coffee, then I am not having coffee, either” he kissed her cheek and stood up.

By the time Felicity returned to the kitchen, a minute later, Oliver had already prepared her a cup of chamomile tea for her upset stomach and cut some fruit for her to eat with some toast. And he was having the same for breakfast, too. He was the best.

They got ready and left for the day shortly after breakfast. Oliver couldn’t wait until the end of the classes, more so than usual. They had their appointment with the clinic in forty-five minutes and Oliver couldn’t wait. He wanted to make sure that both Felicity and the baby were healthy, and he wanted to see their little human.

“Did you know that doctors count pregnancy starting from the first day of your last period?” Oliver asked her. They were in the waiting room of the clinic, waiting to be called in and Oliver was reading some of the pamphlets with one hand, holding Felicity’s hand with the other.

“I didn’t know. So, I should be around ten weeks, then?” she frowned thinking.

“From what I understand, yes. And the baby is the size of a strawberry!” he grinned.

“But what kind of strawberry? They come in all sorts of sizes?” she asked leaning towards him to peek inside the pamphlet.

“Here says that the baby is 1.2 inches long,”

“That’s _tiny_ ,” Felicity said in awe.

“Last week, it was the size of a raspberry, and the week before that, it was the size of a blueberry,” he said, showing her that section of the pamphlet.

“Lots of berries. Well, lots of food. Why do we compare babies to food?” she scanned it with her eyes.

“Because it’s easier for the future parents to imagine the size of their baby,” a kind voice said. They turned to see one of the nurses, standing there with a kind smile on her face. “Are you Felicity?”

“Yes. Yes, that’s me,” she nodded nervously.

“The doctor is ready for you, dear,” the nurse told her and showed them to the examination room.

Their doctor was a young woman named Dr. Lexi Branson, but everyone called her doctor Lexi. She was bright and friendly and that helped a lot with their nerves.

“You’re ten weeks along, which in doctor-speak means you conceived about eight weeks ago,” she explained looking at her monitor. “You are due the first week of July by my estimate.”

“Summer baby, like me!” Felicity smiled. She was still nervous and afraid of this whole situation, she was only nineteen after all, but she was so excited, too.

“Do I count as a summer baby? May is practically summer, right?” he teased.

“Nope,” Dr. Lexi grinned. “You are a spring baby.”

Dr. Lexi printed them a few copies of the ultrasound and gave him a stack of pamphlets and an armful of free samples. She gave them each her card with strict orders to call her if they have any concerns and also booked them their next appointment. She hugged them both wishing them the best of luck.

“I like her, a lot,” Felicity said as they walked home.

“Me, too. I always thought of doctors as scary people, but she is the complete opposite,” Oliver nodded, moving his hand from her shoulder to the small of her back.

“Me too. My peds doctor was a scary lady,” she shivered.

“I’ve been thinking,” Felicity said later that evening. They were on the sofa, snuggling and studying.

“Babe, you’re thinking _all_ the time,” he teased.

“Oh, aren’t you a funny guy,” she stuck her tongue out.

“I am. So, what were you thinking about?”

“We’ll need to move, sooner or later. We’ll need another room for the baby,” she shifted a little to look at him.

“I know, I was thinking about it, too. I also think that it is time for me to get a car,” he kissed her head. “Do you want to go the dealership down the street tomorrow and have a look?”

“Sure,” she sighed. “We should start looking for bigger places, too, if we want to find something at a good price.”

“We will, but don’t worry too much about money, okay? I haven’t touched the money on my account since I moved here and we both have good savings. Plus, when I get my MBA in two years, I’m going to have full unrestricted access to both my trust funds,” he assured her.

“You have two?”

“Yes, the Queen trust fund, set up by my Queen grandparents, and my Dearden trust fund, set up by my Dearden grandparents. Of course, the Dearden one is a lot smaller than the Queen one, but it is still a lot of money. And because both trusts include stocks, the money is adding up. So, I don’t want you to worry about money. And if worse comes to worst, I’m sure Tommy will help us out, though it will probably not come to that.”

“Okay, I will do my best,” she said. “Do you want to look for apartments after dinner?”

“Sure,” he planted a kiss on the top of her head. “What do you want for dinner?”

“Caesar salad,” she grinned. “And ice-cream. After the salad.”

“At least it is semi-healthy,” he chuckled.

“We have to tell Anne.”

“I know. How about we go in a little earlier tonight and tell her?”

“Sure,” she nodded. “Dr. Lexi said I can keep working as long as I wear flats and take care of myself, but she needs to know.”

“And for as long as you feel comfortable.”

“I think I’ll start expanding my computer fixing business so that I will have a somewhat stable income when the baby comes,” she said, putting a hand on her belly.

“Whatever you want, as long as you are comfortable with it,” Oliver said.

“Don’t worry, it’s stupid easy for me to fix those computer problems,” she assured him.

“Right, how could I forget that my girlfriend is a genius?” he teased and kissed her lips. “You stay here, I’ll go start on dinner.”

They told Anne that evening, who was surprisingly excited about it. She asked them a ton of things and they assured her that their doctor cleared Felicity for work, twice. They were not going to tell anyone else, until their next appointment though, just to be safe, though Oliver hated the thought of something happening to Felicity or their baby. He loved their little berry so much already.

They started looking for a new place, though they didn’t have much luck. At least they had some time before they needed the extra space. However, they found a good deal for a car; they got a Chevrolet Cruze Limited 1LT in white for seven thousand dollars. They were very excited about getting a car, too. And it may not be the car he would have chosen three years ago, but it was a safe family car and that’s what he needed and what he wanted.

Their appointment with Dr. Lexi was a pleasant one, once again. Everything was perfect and they got to hear their baby’s heartbeat and that was amazing. Oliver could barely keep the tears away and Felicity didn’t even try. Dr. Lexi gave them the new ultrasound copies and, once again, another armful of free samples for both the mom and the baby.

“How do you want to tell Thea?” Felicity asked him on their way home.

“I don’t know, what do you think?” he frowned putting on his seat belt. Truth to be told, he was a little nervous about telling his sister.

“What if we tell her that we are looking for a new place? She is bound to ask why, since she knows that we like our apartment,” Felicity suggested.

“And let it flow? Maybe we should record that Skype call,” he grinned. “Let’s do that. Tomorrow?”

“Sure. Do you want to tell Tommy when he comes for Thanksgiving?”

“Oh, yes,” he smirked. “I have plans.”

“Just no spilled blood, honey,” she teased.

“No blood, I promise.”

“Do you want to tell your parents?” Felicity asked softly.

“No. They told me that they didn’t want to hear from me again if I didn’t have my MBA. And when I talk to them again it will be to let them know that I am taking 10% of Queen Consolidated out of their control, losing them the status of the majority holders.”

“Okay, we will do whatever you want about your parents,” Felicity placed her hand on his thigh comfortingly. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of it. “And I love you, too, little berry.”

“What do you think we’re having?”

“I don’t care, I’m excited either way. I just want the baby and you to be healthy,” Oliver said sincerely.

“Me, too. We are finding out, right? Because I don’t think I can wait. I hate mysteries. Plus, we have to shop for the baby, and yes gender-neutral is cool and things but I want some pieces with cool quotes and things like that and I need to know, Oliver!” she babbled, waving her hands.

“I want to know, too,” he chuckled. “Plus, once Thea knows, I’m sure she will want to know so she can shop.”

“Even though I was completely freaking out when I realized I was late, I’m so excited to be a mom,” she said tenderly.

“When I asked you what you wanted to do, I was terrified that you wanted to have an abortion. You don’t know how relieved I was when you said you didn’t want one,” Oliver said, as he pulled overin front of their building.

“I would never go through with that without talking to you first. It’s your baby, too. Though I wouldn’t have an abortion, you know what I mean, right?”

“I do. And I love all the more for it,” he smiled at her and leaned in for a kiss.

“I love you, too. And I will love you even more if we squeeze in some cuddling time before we have to go to work,” she grinned up to him.

“Have I ever denied you?”

“Nope! Come on! We have to have dinner, too!”

“You’re lucky I love you,” he chuckled getting out of the car.

They ate their dinner and managed to have a full hour to themselves before they had to get ready to go to work. They weren’t going to tell their coworkers yet, as they wanted to tell Thea first.

The next day, after their classes they had an appointment to view another apartment. And it was a great apartment. It had two bedrooms, though they were a little smaller than their current bedroom. The kitchen was double the size they had now, and the living room space was a little larger, too. The bathroom was about the same and they even had a little storage closet. Plus, the building had a laundry unit. They also had a small balcony/porch, and even though the apartment didn’t come with a parking spot, there was plenty of space to park. The best part was that it was only one hundred dollars more expensive than the apartment they had at the moment. They took it.

They signed the lease and took the keys right away. Then they were on their way home because they were telling Thea that day. They had some time before their scheduled call, so they made a quick stop at Target to get an onesie to show Thea, though they left with the onesie that said AUNT’S BESTIE, a baby blanket with elephants and a sat of mugs; one said #DADLIFE and the other #MOMLIFE.

They barely had enough time for Oliver to make them chicken burgers and rice before Thea was calling them.

“Hello, lovebirds!” she grinned excitedly.

“Hey, Thea,” Felicity waved.

“What’s up, Speedy?”

“Nothing much,” she shrugged. “I’m home alone tonight. Well, as alone as I can be with all the staff, but I mean the parents are out. You?”

They looked at each other and then Oliver said, “We found a new place.”

“New place? What’s wrong with the one you have now?” she frowned.

“Well, it’s perfect for the two of us, but we won’t be just two for very long,” Felicity said nervously.

“What do you mean?” she asked frowning. And then it clicked. “OH MY GOD!” she screeched. “Are you…? Am I going to be an AUNT?!”

“Yes, you are,” Oliver said relieved that his sister was happy about it. “We even got an onesie to show you,” Oliver said, and Felicity held up the onesie.

“Though you figured it out before we could,” Felicity said nervously.

“OH MY GOD! I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING!” she exclaimed. “No, not everything, let’s keep it PG13. But start talking!”

“Well, it wasn’t planned, for one thing, but we are very excited about it,” Oliver said.

“I’m fourteen weeks along, though I’m barely showing,” Felicity added.

“Do you know what you are having?” Thea asked excitedly.

“Not yet. We have to wait for a few more weeks. But we are finding out, no worries,” Felicity assured her.

“I’m so excited! When are you due? Does anyone else knows?”

“I’m due in the first week of July and other than our doctor, only our boss. We wanted to tell you before Tommy, whom we are telling in a couple of weeks. He’ll be here for Thanksgiving, so we’re waiting until then.”

“We’re telling our friends after that. And no, I am not telling our parents,” Oliver said firmly.

“Can you please record Tommy’s reaction? I want to see!”

“Sure, maybe we can FaceTime you if you want,” her brother offered.

“That would be awesome. I wish I could be there with you,” Thea sighed.

“Me too, Speedy. Me, too,” Oliver said sadly.

“Maybe you could stay with us for a few weeks in the summer?” Felicity offered.

“Really?” she brightened up.

“If you get them to agree, sure!” Oliver grinned and sent a thankful look to Felicity.

“I know exactly what I will do,” she grinned.

“I feel like this is a dangerous look on you,” Felicity cocked her head.

“Information is priceless, Felicity,” Thea said.

“Do I even want to know what you’ll use?”

“Well, I will start with the fact that they disowned you. They keep that under wraps. They tell people that you are in Europe. It won’t look for their new charity, if it becomes public knowledge, they had disowned you and they have had zero contact with you since then.”

“You’re an evil genius,” Oliver grinned. “Work your magic, Thea, and let us know what happens. In the meantime, do you want to see your nibling?”

“Do you even have to ask?”

Felicity chuckled and pulled a copy of their latest ultrasound and showed Thea. “Aw, it’s so small!” she cooed.

“Our little berry,” Felicity smiled sweetly.

“Berry?”

“Yes, berry. One of the pamphlets we got, explained the size of the baby each week using food, and then the baby was the size of a strawberry, so it kind of stuck,” Oliver explained.

“I like it, it’s cute.”

The next day was Saturday, and since they didn’t have any classes, they started packing. The moving company was coming on Monday morning because it was the day Oliver had half-day of classes. They didn’t want to hire a company, but they couldn’t move the furniture on their own, especially since Felicity was pregnant.

So, Oliver had gone and bought some packing supplies. Felicity went through her clothes, too, donating several pieces of her goth days. She had to go shopping soon because her clothes were getting tighter. But at least, as she went through them, she was packing what she was keeping at the same time.

While Felicity was packing their clothes, Oliver was packing their books. And then they packed the kitchen together. They didn’t seal the boxes since they would be using some things during the weekend.

On Monday, when they were done for the day, it was the first time they went home to their new apartment. And Felicity had some great news; she was graduating that year and the graduation ceremony she was applying for was in September.

They Celebrated with Italian and pizza for dinner, though they spent a couple of hours unpacking. The movers had put the furniture in their proper places, as per Oliver’s instructions, so they were mostly done by the time they had to leave for work.

The days leading to Tommy’s arrival went by in a blur. Felicity had spent a couple of hours internet shopping for maternity clothes with Thea’s help, picking up just two pairs of maternity jeans and some oversized sweaters, which she could wear after the baby was born, too.

Tommy was spending a week for Thanksgiving with them, though he had booked a hotel room. Oliver and Felicity were giving him cavities.

Felicity and Oliver had talked, and they had agreed to name Tommy the baby’s godfather, so the week before he was due to arrive, they had an onesie made. It was mint green and said WORLD’S BEST GODCHILD. They wrapped it and put it in a gift bag. They only had to wait.

Tommy’s flight came in while they were at work, so after dropping his things at the hotel, Tommy went straight to the bar they worked. Oliver was surprised to see him, but happy none the less. It was fairly early in the night, so Oliver managed to introduce him to Felicity properly. Well, they already knew each other, Oliver talked about Felicity _all the time_ , and they had met through FaceTime, but it wasn’t like meeting face to face. Even though, Tommy and Felicity were friends already.

Tommy was ecstatic to meet Felicity in real life, too. He gave her a big hug when he saw her. Felicity squealed in surprise but hugged him back, none the less. Though she had to go back to work soon thereafter. She would take mini-breaks through the night to drink water and snack, a habit she developed ever since she found out she was pregnant.

Tommy would sneak money in their tip jars, every time Oliver wasn’t looking. He knew they were doing okay financially, and knew that Oliver had some money saved up, but he wanted to help them, and he knew Oliver would never accept the money if he just gave it to him. So, he was sneaking it in their tip jars. He did that every night he was at the bar, being careful not to overdo it.

Tommy stayed until closing time and met with the rest of their coworkers and their boss. He had a good time and promised to come back. They went their separate ways after they closed the bar, promising to meet them for breakfast in the morning.

Tommy wasn’t necessarily happy about getting up that early to have breakfast with them, but he realized that they had to go to their classes. They had agreed to wait until Saturday to tell him the news so that they wouldn’t have to leave immediately for school.

The bar was going to be open for Thanksgiving, but closed on Black Friday, as they had almost no costumers that day. But on Thanksgiving, the tips were truly generous. Oliver and Felicity were working on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eva, and New Year’s Day for the same reasons but had the second days off.

On Saturday morning, Oliver was making pancakes for the occasion and Felicity was drinking her fresh-squeezed orange juice while chatting with Thea, who had woken up extra early just to see Tommy’s reaction. She was even recording the call.

“Good morning,” Tommy grinned. “I’m so glad you sleep in on the weekends. Waking up at six-thirty is not my jam.”

“Hm, maybe we shouldn’t give him his present,” Felicity said teasingly.

“Present? What present?” he asked looking around.

Felicity turned her laptop so Thea could see, while Oliver retrieved the gift bag. “Thea! What are you doing up? It’s like eight in the morning in Starling,” Tommy frowned.

“I just wanted to see your reaction.”

“My reaction? Why is it bad?”

“Open it and find out,” Oliver rolled his eyes and gave him the present. Tommy reluctantly took it and opened it. He carefully put his hand in and took out the wrapped package. He tore it open and took out the onesie. “What is that?” he asked unfolding it. “Godchild?” he asked looking at them. His eyes widened. “You’re having a baby?!”

“Yes,” Oliver smiled proudly.

“That’s awesome! Congratulations!” he exclaimed. “Wait! Godchild? You want me to be the godfather?”

“If you’d like? You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Felicity rushed to say.

“Of course, I want to! This is awesome!” he exclaimed and hugged them both. “I have so many questions!”

They spent their brunch, answering his questions, and Tommy seemed to get more excited by the moment. He made plans and laughed his ass off at the prospect of the baby being a girl because Oliver would be in so much trouble and it was hilarious to him until he realized that was his potential goddaughter. Then he was horrified. Felicity had a lot of fun. Thea ended up joining them for the rest of the brunch, as all that excitement had chased her sleep away.

The week with Tommy had been a fun one. But he had to leave, eventually. Their goodbye was a bit tearful on Felicity’s part, only because of the hormones, though. That was her story and she was sticking with it. He promised to visit again before the baby arrived and sworn to be there for the birth, too. They gave him Thea’s Christmas gift before he had to board the plane.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter we get to see what Oliver and Felicity are having.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised myself that I wouldn't post this story all in one go, like I did with the At The Wrong Place, At The Right Time. I said, girl you won't be posting every day. Maybe twice a week, tops. But evidently, I'm addicted to posting and to your reviews! At this rate, you'll have the whole thing by the end of the month! I thought this story would last us until October, at least! But here we are! I'm posting for the tird time in a week! Ah, well. I hope you enjoy it! As always let me know what you thing and please stay safe! Corona is still out there!

They told their coworkers about the baby and they were surprisingly excited about it. The girls started bonding over all the baby things and swore to through her the best baby shower in the history of baby showers. Anne was very excited about the baby as well.

Oliver and Felicity were saving their days off for when the baby arrived. Well, Felicity had a total of eight weeks off, they had added up through the last three years she worked at the bar, and Oliver had six weeks. Felicity was going to start her days off when she would enter her thirtieth week and she would turn in her two-week notice in the sixth week. Oliver was going to start his time off on July 1st, the week Felicity was due.

Thea had blackmailed her parents into letting her spend her summer vacation in Boston. She had already booked the jet for the morning after school let out. She and Tommy were spending a lot of time together, too, these days. They had standing weekly lunch together ever since Oliver left for Boston, but ever since Tommy found out about the baby, he was over at the Manor hanging out with her more.

Oliver and Felicity spent the holidays together. They celebrated both Hanukah and Christmas. Their tree was barely three feet, but Oliver promised himself that when they moved to a bigger place, he was getting them a huge tree. They spent Christmas morning snuggled in their bed, after a couple of rounds of Christmas sex. Felicity’s libido had increased in the last few weeks, not that he was complaining. At all.

They got up lazily and Oliver made them pancakes for breakfast. They spent some time reading to the baby, something they did every day for the last the two weeks. Felicity had been feeling the baby moving, too, though it wasn’t strong enough for Oliver to feel the baby yet, and he was a little miffed about it, which amused Felicity to no end. Of course, that didn’t stop him from resting a hand on her belly every time he got the chance.

They had a joined call with Thea and Tommy and then saw a Hallmark movie before it was time to go to work. They all had a cup of eggnog to celebrate, except for felicity, she got hot chocolate with extra whipped cream. And just like the night before, their tips were amazing.

They followed a similar pattern for New Year’s, Though New Year’s Eve had the best tips. But the most exciting part was that the week after New Year’s, they had their appointment with Dr. Lexi. And they were finding out the gender.

They were both very excited about it. They arrived at the clinic half an hour earlier than their appointment.

“Aren’t you two a little early?” Dr. Lexi asked teasingly when she saw them.

“We’re just excited!” Felicity exclaimed.

“I can see that” she chuckled. “Come on, I don’t have anything I need to do at the moment. Let’s see what you’re having.”

“Thanks, Doc,” Oliver grinned. Because even though Felicity could barely sit still, he was equally excited, even if he controlled it better.

By that point, they knew their way to Dr. Lexi’s exam room with closed eyes. When they stepped foot inside, Felicity hopped on the examination bed. Well not exactly hopped. Her belly was -finally- poking out a little bit, and she was a little bit restricted. But she was excited to have a visible baby bump. Dr. Lexi had told them that usually, first-time moms didn’t show as much as second- or third-time moms.

“Let’s see,” she took her seat and prepped her equipment. “Ten fingers and ten toes, one little nose. Well, hello there, little man,” she grinned from ear to ear.

“It’s a boy?” Felicity asked with tears in her eyes, squeezing Oliver’s hand.

“Yes, it is,” the doctor confirmed.

“Hey, buddy,” Oliver said blinking rapidly, to chase the tears away.

“I suppose you won’t have to buy a shotgun just yet,” Felicity teased, making him laugh.

“Why would he need a shotgun?”

“Because karma is a bitch and my best friend and I had … wild years as teens and with my luck, my daughter will go for guys like that,” he explained. “My best friend’s solution was to buy a shotgun.”

“And for me to develop a GPS device to implant on her arm,” Felicity laughed.

“Oh, boy,” Dr. Lexi laughed.

“We have to find a way to tell Thea and Tommy,” Oliver mused.

“Oh, I know! There is a site that you buy and ship glitter bombs!” Felicity exclaimed.

“Glitter bombs? I would pay to see Tommy rocking glitter,” he laughed.

“I had a patient once that used the glitter bomb to tell her husband she was pregnant. She had a great laugh.”

“And we can include a note that says ‘oh, boy’ or something like that!” Felicity was truly excited.

“You know, when I have kids, I’m using glitter for the gender reveal,” Dr. Lexi told them, printing them the new pictures.

As per usual, she gave them an armful of free samples and booked them their next appointment, demanding stories of their gender reveal.

Leaving the clinic, they decided to stop by the balloon store, to get a box of baby boy balloons for the reveal at the bar. Tommy and Thea were getting glitter bombs. They got a medium-sized box and they put in baby blue balloons, a couple of those that said ‘Congratulations, it’s a boy’ and couple with teddy bears that wore blue cow ties. The box itself was wrapped in mint green wrapping paper, with a blue and pink bow.

They left the box in the car and decided to go to Target for the first bit of shopping for their baby boy. Oliver didn’t let go of her hand for even a moment and kept dropping kisses on her. The smile on her face was all he needed.

They got a set of swaddles with animals and a set of superhero onesies. And an elephant plushie with a forest green bowtie. They had to stop themselves, though, because they were having a baby shower, so they would wait for further shopping. They wanted to see what their friends would get for the baby and then see what else they needed.

On their way back home, Felicity ordered the glitter bombs for Tommy and Thea, adding a note to each ‘Oh, boy!’.

When they got home, they left their things on the sofa, and Felicity turned around and threw her arms around his neck. She got on her tiptoes and planes a kiss on his lips. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart,” he smiled down at her, placing his arms around her waist.

Felicity pressed herself against him, as best as she could, and kissed him again. Knowing exactly what she wanted, Oliver picked her up and carried her to bed. However, he didn’t let her take charge as she did most of the time nowadays. Instead, he laid her on her back and settled himself between her legs. Then he showed her how much he loved her. Twice.

They barely got at the bar in time. Oliver carried the box with the balloons and Felicity a box with cupcakes. “Gather around, people!” Felicity exclaimed.

“Anne! Mary! We get to know the gender! Come on!” Rania, one of the waitresses, yelled over her shoulder. “JJ! Move it!” he yelled at the bouncer.

“Coming!” JJ called, coming to a stop next to Oliver. “My money is still on a boy,” he said seriously.

“It’s a girl,” Mary stated, coming to a halt next to Rania.

“Shut up so we can find out!” Rania rolled her eyes.

“Do you know what it is?” Anne asked.

“We do,” Oliver grinned.

“He cried when the doc told us,” Felicity placed a kiss on his cheek.

“Manly tears and I am not ashamed to admit it,” he said proudly.

“So, how do we do this?” JJ asked.

“Box first, then cupcakes,” Felicity told them, setting up her phone to record the scene.

“Anne, will you do the honors?” Oliver asked giving her a knife to open the box.

“Gladly!” she took it and placed herself in front of the box. Once everyone was around it and Felicity made sure they were in the frame, she practically stabbed the box to open it.

And then they were all screaming in excitement. Mary moaned a little for losing the bet, but she was happy either way.

“Congratulations, guys,” JJ was the first to hug them. He may be a huge human being, but JJ had a heart of gold.

“Thanks, JJ!” Felicity beamed. Once everyone had hugged everyone, Felicity opened the cupcakes. They were chocolate cupcakes with baby blue icing. It was back to work after that.

A couple of days later, they were having lunch, when they got a call from Tommy. Felicity accepted the video call, with Oliver right next to her. Tommy appeared on their screen, covered in blue glitter and a shit-eating grin on his face.

“IT’S A BOY!” he exclaimed.

“Hey, Tommy,” Felicity smiled brightly.

“Yes, it is, buddy,” Oliver mirrored her.

“I have glitter _everywhere,_ but I don’t care! I’m _so_ excited! I can’t wait for him to be born. I’m buying him a Sterling’s Comets jersey, right now!”

“I’m taking him to his first game,” Oliver stated.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, if you think I’m missing it, you’ve finally lost it,” his best friend rolled his eyes.

“Maybe we should wait for him to be born?” Felicity intervened, “Just a suggestion.”

“But that’s _so_ far away,” Tommy whined.

“About twenty weeks, if he’s coming on time. Sometimes babies take a week or two more.”

“See? That’s forever away!”

“Imagine if you were the one carrying him around all day for _forty weeks_.”

“And you are doing a marvelous job, babe. And I have already promised a lifetime supply of massages,” Oliver kissed her.

“Yeah, wait until I resemble a whale and won’t be able to put my shoes on,” she grumbled.

“We’ll have our little human by the end of it, though,” Oliver reasoned.

“I know,” she sighed. “I’m kind of dreading the last trimester.”

“Not the birth?” Tommy frowned.

“Well, I’m thinking about getting an epidural, so not so much the birth as the after birth.”

“What’s an epidural?” Tommy asked.

“Essentially it’s anesthesia, but instead of sleeping, you can’t feel anything from the waist down,” Felicity explained.

“You should get that, then. No reason to suffer if you can avoid it. I’ve been watching some videos, and I’m telling you, I was dreading the birth!” Tommy said, blanching a little, remembering those videos. He liked Felicity and he didn’t want her going through that.

“I agree. I’ve watched some documentaries and I don’t want her to suffer like that. I don’t think I can take it, watching her in so much pain, but ultimately it’s her choice,” Oliver said.

“I want to feel it, at least at first. There is a show I watch on YouTube about women giving birth, and I don’t think I want to go through _all_ the pain,” She explained. “I will most likely get the epidural.”

“Great! Those ladies always seemed happier in my opinion.”

“I would never have thought that Tommy Merlyn would be watching women giving birth,” Oliver chuckled.

“I’m going to be a godfather, Ollie!” he rolled his eyes. “I need to know what’s going to happen. What if you faint? Someone needs to be able to help Felicity.”

“I’m not going to faint,” he said firmly. There is no way he is going to be missing his kid’s birth.

“That’s so sweet, Tommy,” Felicity cooed.

“Don’t go around telling people. I have an image, I have to maintain,” He said, sitting a little straighter. “Have you told Speedy?

“She should be getting her glitter bomb today or tomorrow, so don’t tell her anything just yet,” Oliver replied.

“Got it,” he nodded. “So, I have to go shower. I am meeting my father to ask him for a job.”

“You are?” Oliver’s eyebrows shot to his hairline.

“Uh-huh, you pulled your head out of your ass. It’s my turn now. Hopefully, he will stop threatening to cut me off now. Plus, I have to be a good example for my godson,” he said confidently.

“That’s very mature of you, Tommy. I’m proud of you,” Felicity said proudly.

“Thanks, I think.”

“Good luck, buddy. Let us know how it goes,” his best friend said encouragingly.

“Thanks, and I will. Bye!”

“Bye, Tommy.” Felicity terminated the call.

“I never thought I’d see the day I’d hear Tommy asking his father for a job,” Oliver leaned back on his chair.

“I think all your maturity is rubbing off on him,” she teased.

“Nah, I think it’s your influence.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baby Shower!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people! How are you? I am currently enjoying my last few days of holidays, enjoying my mum's village where we are currently with my siblings! It's in Ioannina, Greece if you were wondering, complete with chickens and goats and the whole nine yards. It's a traditional village up in the mountain and we had an earthquake this morning at 3.19. That was fun!   
> Quick question, would anyone be interested in a Harry Potter AU fic with a bit of a modern twist? Because I have been writing one for the last two years and it is currently at 20 chapters. Let me know.  
> Anyway, here you have it! The 4th chapter. I hope you enjoy it! As always let me know what you think and stay safe! 
> 
> !!!Disclaimer!!! : I've never been to a baby shower; they are not a thing here in Greece, so my knowledge is based solely on movies, Tv shows, and some research I have done.

Thea’s glitter bomb arrived a little later, probably because Queen Manor was in the middle of nowhere. So, Thea got it on Monday after she got back from school. And as luck would have it, Robert and Moira were there when Raisa gave her the envelope.

“Miss Thea, this came for you this morning,” Raisa said and gave her the envelope.

Her parents had just entered behind her, a rarity, by the way, so the saw the whole thing.

Thea took the envelop and opened, without really checking it. So, she opened it. And blue glitter flew _everywhere_. Thea looked like a smurf. Her eyes widened in shock and looked in the envelope. There was a card. Even more, glitter flew out in her effort to retrieve the card.

 _Oh, boy!_ It read simply. It took her a moment to realize what that meant, but that message plus the blue glitter plus the fact that they were finding out the gender around this time equaled that she was having a nephew! Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened even more but got herself together when she heard her mother’s voice.

“What is going on, Thea?” she demanded.

“Uh, it’s-it’s a prank,” she tried to play it cool.

“A tasteless prank, obviously,” she turned her nose up.

“I don’t know, it seems like it works,” Robert laughed.

“Go clean up,” her mother ordered and left for her home office.

“Right, I’m gonna do that,” she rolled her eyes. She picked up her schoolbag and ran to her room, already calling Felicity on FaceTime, covered in blue glitter and a huge smile on her face.

“Hey, Thea,” she grinned.

“OH MY GOD!” she screeched happily. She closed her door behind her, to have some privacy. “IT’S A BOY!!”

“Yes, it is! And you are very blue!” her brother entered the frame.

“Can you send me a selfie? I’m putting together a scrapbook, documenting my pregnancy,” Felicity asked.

“Sure,” she nodded. “I’m so excited to finally know the gender! I can shop freely! So, tell me everything!”

“Oliver cried,” Felicity kissed his cheek.

“Uh-huh, and I am man enough to admit it.”

“True. Though your bomb was a little later than Tommy’s. He was covered in glitter, too.”

“Oh, Tommy knows?”

“Yes, we sent you both a glitter bomb, he opened his, on Saturday,” Felicity nodded.

“I just got it, today. Raisa gave it to me when I came home from school,” she moaned. She had wanted to know before Tommy to tease him.

“Did you hear?” Oliver asked.

“What?”

“Tommy started working at Merlyn Global today.”

“No way! I wonder how our parents will react to the news. I overheard them yesterday talking, wondering how you managed to keep off the radar. Mother was surprised you’ve gone almost two years without coming back begging,” Thea sighed annoyed.

“Let her wonder. I graduate in two years and five months and then they will figure it all out. They think I don’t know the terms of our trust funds. It will be a nasty surprise,” Oliver clenched his jaw.

“What do I need to know?” Thea asked, interested.

“I’ll tell you all about it when you come for the summer, don’t worry,” he assured her. “I may or may not have stolen some paperwork from father’s office, copied them, and put them back.”

“Uh-huh,” she narrowed her eyes. “I want to be there to watch their reactions and record them, too.”

“I promise to let you know ahead of time,” Oliver chuckled.

“Great! Mom’s losing some jewelry, isn’t she?”

“Yes, she is. Including her prized pink diamonds.”

“I think I’m missing something,” Felicity frowned.

“You know all that crazy expensive pieces that you mostly see European Royals and very rich people wearing?” Thea asked.

“Yeah, I love some of those pieces. I have a Pinterest board with tiaras alone,” Felicity nodded.

“We have a lot of jewelry like that. Very expensive jewelry. Grandma Queen was obsessed with it and Grandpa Queen was only too happy to feed that obsession. Most pieces are part of our trusts, but our mother can wear them because she is our guardian and what not. But when Oliver gains control of his trusts, he gets his share of jewelry as well and can do what he wants with it, but bro, please don’t sell them!” Thea exclaimed.

“I’m not, barring any catastrophe, of course,” he assured her.

“Good, anyway, our trusts don’t just hold money, they include investments as well and jewelry is a great investment. Like works of art, those you can loan out to museums and you get money out of it, too.”

“That’s smart,” Felicity nodded.

“Our grandparents were smart people and pretty much the only adults having faith in me,” Oliver said looking away.

“Well, as you said, smart people,” Felicity put an arm around his shoulders.

“And our parents aren’t all that smart people. Anyway, I have a new mission in life right now, other than spoiling little berry rotten. I’m going to gather information, uncover our parents’ dirty little secrets.”

“Knowledge is power,” Felicity said.

“Exactly,” Thea nodded. “I’ll get back to you with any findings and I’m burrowing all your old electronics, Ollie.”

“Knock yourself out,” he shrugged.

“Great! I’m so happy for you guys, truly. And no matter what, Ollie, I am proud of you,” Thea said sincerely.

“Thank you, Thea. I am proud of you, too. We both are,” he said wrapping an arm around Felicity who nodded her head with a big smile.

“And we love you,” she said proudly.

“I love you, too. All three of you,” Thea beamed.

“I think you’re good for Thea,” Oliver said to her later. They were on the sofa cuddling, just like they always did before work.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, the only examples she ever had was me and Tommy and we certainly weren’t good examples. But you? You are. You graduate high school at sixteen, while having a side business of fixing computers, regardless of the counting cards thing, and you got a full ride to MIT. And did I mentioned that you are set on graduating a year earlier while working a full-time job and being pregnant?”

“Most people would judge me on that alone, and say I am a bad example. And I don’t want to be a bad example, especially for Thea,” she whispered.

“Felicity, babe, it’s not like we had unprotected sex or anything. A condom broke and we are getting a tiny little human out of it. You have been reading books upon books about expecting mothers, babies, and child psychology. I think you are a very good example and I know Thea and Tommy will certainly agree with me,” Oliver said firmly.

“You think so?”

“I do,” he nodded and planted a kiss on her head. “I also think that you are going to be the best mom.”

“Thank you, it means a lot. but don’t sell yourself short. You’re going to be a great dad,” she turned to face him.

“I hope so,” he sighed.

“I know so. Now, we have five minutes before we have to get up, so only happy thoughts!” she commanded.

“Yes, ma’am,” he chuckled and kissed her lips. “I love you and I love you, too, little berry,” he placed his right hand on her belly and felt a kick from their little berry.

“We love you, too,” Felicity hummed.

The next few months went by quietly. The only highlight was their anniversary when Oliver took Felicity to the zoo and had a picnic. Felicity loved it. Oliver took a photo of her with the giraffes and it quickly became his phone’s background. They were closed for most of the spring break, as the bar had very little costumers. They enjoyed that time very much.

Oliver painted the second bedroom a silvery grey color and Felicity ordered some cloud wall decals to add to the wall they were going to place the crib. They had visited a few baby stores as well, to get some inspiration for the nursery. Felicity had gotten her hands on some online discount codes for Target, but she was waiting for her baby shower. She didn’t want to shop and then have to return things because they got her the same for the shower.

Oliver and Anne were in charge of it. They were having it at the bar and other than the people working at the bar, Oliver had invited Dr. Lexi and Tommy. Unfortunately, Thea couldn’t be there, but they were going to FaceTime it. They were having it on Felicity’s last day of work, two hours before the bar opened.

Tommy had arrived the day before the baby shower and spent his day with them. Well, mostly Oliver who had to do some shopping for the shower. Tommy, Oliver, and JJ spent an hour blowing up balloons and then another hour arranging them around the bar under Anne’s watchful eye.

Oliver had ordered [donuts with a variety of blue glazing](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/176344141646367188/), [strawberries covered in blue chocolate](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/507710557989529441/) (because the baby was their little berry), he had prepared pitchers filled with blue water and blue cubes and he had prepared a variety of snacks himself, to be sure they were at least somewhat healthy. Oh, and he had gotten [a beautiful cake](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124896701350/).

Mary and Rania were in charge of the game portion of the party. The games were; What am I (every guest had a card with a baby item and the rest tried to guess it), Diaper Change Race (who could change a diaper the fastest), Name the Baby Tune, What’s the Baby Animal, Guess the Nursery Rhyme and Do You Know your Cartoon Babies? And then, of course, there was the birthdate pool.

Anne had an instant photo camera, she was going to use it for the Book of Wishes she had put together; she’d take a photo pf each guest and put it on a page and the guest would write his or her wishes on that page.

JJ had set up a camera to record the whole thing and they all had promised to take pictures to fill the rest of the whish book and for Felicity’s scrapbook.

Thea was joining them through FaceTime because there was no way in hell, she was missing her nephew’s baby shower. Her words. She had sent her gift with Tommy and Felicity was truly curious to see what was in that big box. But they were opening the gifts at home after the shower.

Dr. Lexi arrived with her boyfriend Damon just five minutes before the shower was to start. “Where is my favorite Mama?” she exclaimed.

“I thought you weren’t supposed to have favorites?” her boyfriend, who was carrying a box and two bags, teased.

“Oh, hush. Hey, Oliver!” she hugged him the moment she saw him.

“Hey, Dr. Lexi!” he smiled and returned the hug.

“We’re not in the clinic, Oliver,” she rolled her eyes, “Lexi will do just fine. And this idiot with me is Damon.”

“Love you, too, babe,” he rolled his eyes and shook hands with Oliver.

“I’m Oliver, and welcome to our baby shower,” he grinned.

“Someone’s excited,” Lexi commented.

“Yup! I’ve been working on it for weeks. You can leave everything over there,” he said pointing to a couple of tables that held the presents.

“What’s that big one?” Lexi asked pointing to Thea’s gift, while Damon placed the things, he was carrying, by it.

“My sister’s gift. We have no idea what it is,” he replied giving them blue party hats that they were all wearing. He had gotten a plastic crown with blue feathers for Felicity.

“Do I get to meet the famous sister?” Lexi asked, putting it on.

“Only through FaceTime, for now. Though she will be here for the birth. And I should call her before Felicity arrives, excuse me for a moment,” Oliver skipped to the laptop on the bar and initiated a video call with Thea who must have been hovering over hers, as she answered immediately.

“Finally!” She exclaimed.

“Lovely to see you, too, sis,” he rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah. Show me, show me!” she demanded.

Oliver rolled his eyes and took her on a tour of the shower area, introducing her to people. Then he placed the laptop on the main table because Tommy had texted him that they were outside.

“Well, it’s blue in here,” Felicity said with a big smile when she entered through the threshold.

“I wanted more blue balloons, but Anne put her foot down!” Oliver said, placing the crown on her head and then he kissed her lips quickly, with a huge grin. Anne had them pose for a photo.

“Dr. Lexi! You made it!”

“I wasn’t missing it for the world!” Lexi hugged Felicity.

“She’s been talking about it since she got the invitation. Non-stop” Damon said.

“That is my boyfriend, Damon” She rolled her eyes.

“Hi! I’m Felicity, nice to meet you.”

“You, too. Lexi talks a lot about you, “he smiled back shaking her head.

“She is my favorite and I’m adopting her. I’ve made my decision,” she grinned playfully. “And drop the doctor, Felicity. I’m here to eat cake and play baby games!”

“Will do! Has anyone called Thea?” she wondered.

“Right here, Felicity! Tommy thought it would be awesome to stand in front of the laptop!” Thea’s voice came.

“Sorry,” Tommy said putting on his hat. He didn’t sound like he was sorry.

“How’s my favorite blonde?” the teen asked.

“A little sleep deprived. Your nephew tends to kick _everything_ when I go to sleep,” she rolled her eyes fondly.

“Just wait for the tree a.m. feedings,” Lexi said, biting a strawberry.

“At least he won’t be playing soccer with my stomach,” she shrugged sitting down. “So, what’s first?”

“Birthdate bets?” JJ suggested.

“Name the Baby Tune,” Rania stated.

She had prepared twelve baby tunes for them to guess. She put them on the bar’s sound system and gave each of them a paper and a pen to write down their guesses. Thea was participating, too, as she didn’t need to physically be there for it.

Lexi slew them at it. “You wouldn’t believe how many mothers want baby tunes playing while they are giving birth,” she shrugged.

“You can do that?” Felicity frowned.

“Sure. We’ll work on your birth plan next time, don’t worry,” she nodded.

“Don’t forget the epidural thing!” Tommy piped.

“We’ll write it in bold,” Lexi assured him.

“I think Tommy is more nervous than we are about the birth,” Oliver said, giving a plate of food to his girlfriend.

“That’s my godson, Oliver! I’ve been doing my research on birth and things to be prepared in case you faint!” he smirked.

“I won’t faint,” he rolled his eyes.

“You’d be surprised at how many dad’s faint during labor, especially first-timers,” Lexi said innocently.

“I’m not missing my son’s birth,” he sighed dramatically.

“Yeah, but can we record the birth so I can see it if you faint?” Thea grinned from the laptop.

“We will record the birth, but I am sure Oliver won’t faint,” Felicity said, placing her hand on his cheek. “These tortilla rolls are great, babe.”

“Thanks, I tried a new recipe,” he said proudly.

“I never would have thought that Oliver would be a MasterChef,” Thea said.

“Not much of a choice. He had to be a MasterChef since I am a disaster in the kitchen,” Felicity said. “But he is a great cook.”

“Did you make all of the food?” Damon asked.

“Except for the donuts, the strawberries, and the cake, yes,” he said proudly.

“If the whole MBA doesn’t work out, you should open a restaurant,” Mary said, picking up a mini pizza.

“Or a catering service,” JJ said.

“That’s not a bad idea!” Thea exclaimed. “Our parents would lose it if you did! How amazing is that!”

“I’ll keep that in mind since I don’t know what I want to do after college.”

“You’ll be amazing, I know it!” Felicity said encouragingly.

“You can collab with Damon. He is quite the pastry chef, even if he is a lawyer,” the doctor said.

“Why? Don’t lawyers get to be good pastry chefs?” Damon exclaimed mock offended.

“Sure, hon.”

“Maybe you can specialize in baby showers,” Tommy suggested.

“I’ll give out your cards to expecting parents!” Lexi offered.

“Can I please be there when our parents find out?” Thea asked.

“Aren’t you a little Drama Queen?” Tommy chuckled.

“Uh-huh. And I can hold a grudge like the best of them. Now, what are we playing next?”

“What’s the Baby Animal,” Rania said.

Felicity tied with Thea on that game, but Anne won the Guess the Baby Rhyme game. Then, it was time for Diaper Change Race. Thea was annoyed she could be part of it, but she was the referee. Mary and Rania had gotten dolls and diapers from the dollar store for this game, one for each of them. They were all surprised when JJ won the race, with Damon a close second.

“What? I have a niece,” JJ shrugged.

“What’s your excuse mister?” Lexi teased, but her eyes said a different story. They had softened as had her voice. Lexi wanted to have kids with Damon, Felicity realized.

“Uh, pure natural talent?” he looked her in the eyes. Yup, he wanted her babies, too, Felicity thought.

“Uh-huh, maybe I’ll have you teach a class at the clinic,” she grinned. “Speaking of! We got new samples from a couple of environmentally friendly and natural companies, it’s on the green bag we brought. And the box. They are really good.”

“Thanks, Lexi! Your samples are always on point,” Felicity said.

“I’ve printed her a T-shirt that says, ‘Dr. Free Samples’ but she refuses to wear it at the clinic,” Damon grinned.

“We get a lot of samples and most of the doctors don’t bother to give them out, so I do. Those things are useful. Plus, this new company has diapers with a ton of different prints to choose from. And they have things for the baby and the mama. I should introduce you to Caroline,” Lexi said.

“Who’s Caroline?” Tommy asked.

“My best friend’s girlfriend. She is in the second year of her pediatrician residency,” Damon explained.

“We agree on free samples. And they get samples that are not exclusively for newborns,” Lexi explained.

“My sister said those samples she got were a lifesaver,” JJ piped.

“If nothing else, they allow you to try different products without spending a fortune until you find what you like,” Lexi said. “So, what’s next?”

“Birthdate bets!” Thea demanded.

“Maybe you should this one out, babe,” Damon said.

“And why is that, Salvatore?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Because you’re Felicity’s doctor and you know when the baby is going to be born?”

“I can calculate approximately when the baby will be born. Ultimately, it’s up to the baby,” she rolled her eyes. “But I think this little guy will be a little late, so my guess is the second week of July.”

“I’m with the doc! Oliver has been late for everything all his life!” Thea said.

“Thea fifty bucks _and_ the loser has to attend the humanitarian thing in November!” Tommy called. “I think the baby will be right on time. Felicity is never late for anything.”

“You’re on Thomas!”

“I think I should be offended,” Oliver said.

“Oliver, you almost missed our high school graduation,” Tommy reminded him.

“It was one time!”

“No, it wasn’t,” Thea piped. “I can refresh your memory if you like.”

“No, thank you very much. And you’re my sister! You’re supposed to be on my side!”

“Says who?” Thea smirked.

“I think the baby will be born on July 7th,” Felicity stated.

“Seventh of the seventh?” Damon asked. “Harry Potter fan?”

“Totally!” Felicity exclaimed. “We’re reading him the first book at the moment.”

“The kid is going to come out waving a wand,” Anne rolled her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I never meant to be MIA for almost two weeks, but I'm in the middle of September exams and all the studying is slowly consuming my soul! On the bright side, Klaus and Caroline enter the story in this chapter! And I know they are from another fandom (just like Damon and Lexi) but they deserved SO MUCH BETTER than they got!
> 
> SPOILER ALERT!  
> I mean really! They only got a couple of kisses and a steamy scene and then BAM! Bye-bye Klaus. So, they are going to get their HEA in this story.   
> END OF SPOILER ALERT
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter and as always, let me know what you think and stay safe.

By the time the shower was over, they had eaten most of the buffet and they had cut the cake. Tommy had taken all the gifts at their apartment with Oliver’s car and returned to hang out at the bar with Lexi and Damon, who had decided to stay and have a couple of drinks. Damon had called his best friend Klaus who arrived with his girlfriend, Caroline.

Lexi introduced her and Felicity, and Caroline was excited at the prospect of a new patient. The five of them, the two couples and Tommy, sat on the bar, so Oliver had a good time with them while working. Lexi approved of Felicity’s mini-breaks to rest and snack. Caroline and Felicity hit it off, even if they didn’t spend all that much time together, because Felicity was working.

They left around midnight, as they had to work the next morning, but they said they would be back, as they had an amazing time. They even ate the left-over donuts.

“We’re going to miss you, kid” Anne hugged Felicity at the end of the night.

“I’ll miss you, too,” she said. And it was true, she was going to miss them, especially Anne who was like a mother to her. “But you can always visit and if you have any tech problems, you know who to call.”

“Will do,” she nodded.

“We’ll miss you, Felicity,” JJ hugged her gently. “I expect a phone call when this little monkey decides to enter the world, okay?”

“I promise!”

“Night guys, and thanks for all the help,” Oliver said, handing Tommy the rest of the cake.

“Don’t mention it, Oliver. We had a lot of fun,” the bouncer assured him. “Go get some rest, we’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Night!”

When they got home, Tommy was crashing on their sofa for the night, a pile of the gifts was waiting for them at the kitchen table. Tommy gave them his gift. He had done his research, yet again, and decide that his baby shower gift was going to be cash, ten thousand dollars to be exact, for what they baby needed and the rest was to be put in a bank account for the baby.

They had to wait to open the presents, as the following day was a Monday and they had classes. But when they came back, Tommy had only gotten up a couple of hours earlier, they had some light lunch and then sat around to open the presents.

They sat on the sofa and Tommy would pick bags at random to open. Felicity had her notebook with the baby list at the ready.

“I’m curious what’s in this box,” Tommy gave Oliver the box Lexi had brought. “What free sample is that big?”

Oliver opened it and took a look. “It’s a breast pump, right?” he turned to his girlfriend.

“Yes, it is! This is one of the companies Lexi was telling us about,” she nodded. “And this brand is very good. This model is a single electronic one, there are manuals too and double pumps, as well, though those cost at least double the money. This one includes 100 milk bags and a travel pouch,” she explained examining the box. “Lexi just saved us about seventy dollars,” she said marking the breast pump off her list.

“That’s amazing,” Oliver said impresses.

“Dr. Free Samples, indeed,” Tommy nodded and grabbed another bag.

This one was from JJ. He had gotten the baby a Batman onesie, a Flash onesie, a Superman onesie, a Captain America onesie, and an Iron Man onesie, a set of three long-sleeve [Harry Potter onesies](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/137289488812742254/), he even thought to get those in a bigger size. Felicity loved them.

Next was Mary’s gift; she got them a set of three dinosaurs themed muslin swaddle blankets, a set of dinosaur pacifiers, and a matching baby bath towel set.

The next bag was the rest of the samples Lexi had told them about. After that, Tommy picked Anne’s gift, which was a [Playard](https://www.target.com/p/baby-trend-trend-e-nursery-center-playard/-/A-78797295?preselect=52829068#lnk=sametab) accompanied by a Playard sheet with rockets and planets and one with animals. “That looks like a crib?” Tommy frowned.

“Close enough. We’ll need it when the baby is older. We can put him in here with his toys, while we’re studying or something. And it is also useful for when you travel because it’s essentially a portable crib,” Felicity explained. “And they are pretty pricey, so yay Anne!” Felicity turned a page and marked it off.

“Here, I think this is from Lexi and Damon,” he gave them a bag that had cartoon bears on it. And indeed, it was. Lexi had gotten the baby a baby gym/playmat and a throw pillow with little dinosaurs. “Oh, that’s cool,” Oliver said showing Felicity the baby gym.

“Oh, yes!” Felicity beamed. “babies are grabby and those are perfect.”

“I can’t see you putting little berry on that thing when you bring him home,” Tommy cocked his head.

“It’s for a little later, Tommy,” Felicity rolled her eyes and marked off the baby gym from her list.

“Right. Okay, we have Rania’s next,” he said and gave Oliver the last bag.

Rania got them some more onesies and some feeding bottles with cute prints on them and then it was time to open Thea’s gift. Felicity did the honors, ripping the wrapping paper, revealing a baby swing.

“What does that do?” Tommy asked.

“That’s a baby swing, it rocks the baby and you have your hands free. Veteran moms swear by it. And this one detaches and turns into a bouncer,” Oliver said surprising them both. “What? I’ve done my homework,” he shrugged.

“Would you boys set it up in the baby’s room, please?” Felicity asked sweetly.

“Of course, sweetheart,” Oliver dropped a kiss on her head and picked up the box. “Come on, Tommy.”

“You guys are giving me cavities,” he rolled his eyes but followed his best friend.

Tommy flew back to Starling that night, as he had to go back to work the following morning. Oliver and Felicity had classes in the morning, but they went to Target afterward for Felicity to pick up some maternity shorts, because it was getting too hot for jeans, and also got two summer dresses and a pair of sandals.

They looked around at nursery furniture and picked a couple of pieces, but they would order them online for better deals. They did get a set of onesies and a set of pacifiers.

“I can’t wait to put together the nursery,” Felicity said when they were back in the car.

“Do you want to order the furniture this weekend? I can put up the cloud decals we ordered, too,” Oliver suggested, putting on his seatbelt.

“Oh, can we?” she squealed excitedly. “I’ll work on the list of things we weed for the nursery and the first few months after the baby is here.”

“Whatever you want, sweetheart. Thea has been bugging me about the nursery, too. She wants details and I don’t even know what to tell her. I mean how much detail can I give her from an empty room? The only thing in there is the baby swing she got us,” she shook her head.

“Well, if you want to keep her a little busy, you can tell her to come up with some ideas for the nursery or maybe to contribute to the baby name list, because we need to find him a name, Oliver.”

They had been toying with names for a couple of weeks now, but they didn’t seem to find the perfect name for their little berry. But they had to eventually decide on a name. They had about eight weeks until the baby arrived, and time went by quickly.

The first week of Felicity not working was weird for her. When Oliver went to work, she spent half an hour walking around the park near their apartment, then she would spend some time on homework and her projects. Then she would usually read one of her baby books or watch one of the documentaries on her list, about babies and children. She would FaceTime Thea or Tommy every other day.

She’d go to bed around eleven at night, but she would toss and turn until Oliver got home. She couldn’t sleep without him. He would always kiss her when he came home before he showered and came to bed.

They had tasked Thea to find ideas for the nursery and the baby’s name, because yes, they needed some help on that front. Felicity had even asked Tommy to contribute to the name list, but she made it clear that they were not naming him Tommy Jr.

They spent the whole Saturday shopping for the baby and thank god Felicity had those discount codes because babies needed _a lot_ of things. But they placed the order and used the precious codes and it was expected to be delivered on Wednesday afternoon.

The inspiration for the nursery came from [one of the pictures](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124896713452/) that Thea had sent them. She had found some beautiful nurseries, but most of them had a completely different color scheme than they were going for since they had already painted the room and they were not about to redo it.

On Wednesday, their order came five minutes after Oliver had gotten home. Good thing, too, as Felicity was napping and when she was napping nothing could wake her up.

Oliver moved the boxes in the nursery and prepared them some lunch before he attempted to wake Felicity up. He kneeled next to her on the sofa and rubbed her back gently. She let out a content hum that had Oliver smiling and she slowly opened her eyes.

“Hey,” she said sleepily.

“Hey, sleepyhead. Did you have a good nap?”

“Hmm. What time is it?”

“A little after one. One of the professors is sick, so I’m home early. And do you know what else is here?” he grinned.

“What?”

“Our delivery.”

“Really?” she beamed.

“Yes. I moved all the things in the nursery, but it’s all here,” he nodded. “And we can put together the furniture this weekend.”

“Oh, yes! And then I can finally organize all the samples I have and wash all his little clothes,” she grinned. “And iron them. We’re going to be ironing everything that touches him.”

“Whatever you want sweetheart,” he nodded. “And have you been a good boy for mama today, little man?” he placed his hand on her belly and he felt a nice kick. No matter what mood he was in, their baby kicking him never failed to put a smile on his face.

“He has been a good boy today. He even let me nap for a couple of hours,” she nodded placing her hand over his. “Can you believe that he is going to be here in less than two months?”

“No, but I can’t wait,” he smiled softly. “I love you,” he looked at her.

“I love you, too,” Felicity leaned in and pecked his lips, not moving their hands from her bump.

“Do you want to go for a walk before dinner?” he asked.

“Yes, I do. And I was thinking about coming with you to the bar for a little while. I want to see the guys and do something different. I’m going a little crazy in here.”

“Not a bad idea. JJ was complaining that I keep you all to myself,” he teased. “And did you know he got a new lady in his life?”

“Really? He didn’t say anything!” she gasped surprised. “He’s supposed to tell me those things! What’s her name? Where did they meet? What do you know?”

“Her name is Rania and they met at the bar,” Oliver grinned. “I caught them last night at the storage room.”

“No way! I knew she had a thing about him!” she exclaimed.

“You should have seen them. They blushed so much, JJ looked like an overgrown tomato,” he chuckled. “They keep it a secret from what I gathered, so don’t tease them too much.”

“Fine! Take all my fun,” she rolled her eyes.

“Come on, I made lunch and you are due for your vitamins, too.”

“Look who the cat dragged in!” JJ exclaimed when Felicity walked through the bar’s door. He was the first one to hug her, too, followed by the ladies.

“Missed us already?” Mary asked.

“Yes, and I was going a little stir crazy at home, so here I am.”

“We’re happy to see you, but you are going to sit on a chair and do nothing, young lady,” Anne said sternly.

“Yes, ma’am,” she grinned.

An hour later, the first people through the door were Lexi, Damon, Caroline, and Klaus. “Hello, crew,” Damon greeted them.

“Hey, Felicity!” Caroline was the first to see her.

“Hi!”

“Going stir crazy already?” Lexi chuckled walking to where she was sitting to hug her.

“Yes, completely. I mean we go for walks in the park and out shopping, but I get bored easily,” she waved for them to join her at the table she was sitting at. “And I think I should stop watching so many birth videos, as well.”

“I remember my OB/GYN rotation,” Caroline mused. “I much prefer working with the little humans.”

“Little humans are cute, but nothing beats helping bring them in this world, in my opinion,” Lexi said.

“What I know is that I can’t wait for him to be born,” she rubbed her belly.

“Have you picked a name yet?” Klaus asked.

“Nope,” she shook her head. “However, we got the nursery delivery today, and we’re planning on putting it together this weekend.”

“Do you have a theme?” Lexi asked.

“Dinosaurs,” Felicity said proudly.

“That’s cool. I wish my nursery was dinosaur themed,” Damon said.

“I thought your mom had themed nurseries for both you and Stefan?” Lexi frowned.

“Mine was fish-themed,” he rolled his eyes. “And Stefan’s was jungle themed. Though neither was all that successful judging by the photos we have.”

“Mine was just white with pink things,” Caroline shuddered. It wasn’t pretty. Too frilly.

“Mine was space-themed,” Klaus grinned.

“That would have been cool, but by the time we thought about it, we had already painted the room silver,” Felicity sighed.

“You can do a space theme when the little guy is a little older,” Lexi suggested.

“That’s a very good possibility,” Felicity nodded.

“You should do aliens not just astronauts. That’s cliché,” Klaus said.

“Your nursery was full of astronauts, wasn’t it?” Caroline grinned.

“Yes, and not a single alien!”

Damon rolled his eyes at his best friend and turned to Felicity, “How is school?”

“Boring,” she sighed. “We’re revising for the finals. That’s something I will not miss.”

“Don’t you have a few more years ahead of you?” Klaus frowned.

“Nope. I got in when I was sixteen and I am graduating a year earlier. I’m a genius and everything,” she said proudly.

“Wow,” Klaus and Damon said together.

“Thanks,” she blushed.

“I told you she is crazy smart,” Lexi grinned. “So, did you have any time to check the new samples?”

“I did and they were great, too. I have already ordered a few things from one of the companies. And their prices are almost the same as the big companies’, too. So, we decided to go with them. Thea loves that you can choose the design on the diapers.”

“How’s Thea?” Damon asked, perking up. He and Thea had hit it off at the baby shower.

“She is very excited. She is counting down the days until school lets out. She is flying over the next morning. She can hardly wait. She has been bugging Oliver about the nursery, so we have her look for nursery inspiration and name ideas. It’s been working for the last few days, but I can understand where she is coming from. She can’t stand her parents and her brother lives on the other side of the country. Having Tommy has been good, but she misses Oliver. I mean, he visited for a few days last year, but it’s been almost a year and a half.”

“And she adores Oliver, doesn’t she?” Caroline asked.

“Completely, even if she won’t admit it,” Felicity smiled fondly.

“I wish I had a big brother,” Lexi sighed.

“I have two,” Klaus said. “I get along with Elijah when we don’t see each other too much. Finn has a stick up his ass, and I am positive he generally doesn’t like me.”

“You only get along with Rebecca and Henrik,” Caroline reminded him.

“And occasionally Kol,” he added.

“Yeah, when you are not arguing over something silly.”

“It’s our jam. We argue and then we go out for drinks. Or burgers,” he shrugged.

“How many siblings do you have?” Felicity asked.

“Uh, let’s see, there’s Freya, Finn, Elijah, then there’s me, Kol, Rebecca, and Henrik. So, six,” Klaus counted.

“Wow. I’m an only child and I never really had friends. At first, I was too smart for my classmates and when I skipped two grades, I was too young,” Felicity said.

“My brother thinks I’m evil,” Damon shrugged.

“You’ve been an ass to him half his life!” Lexi exclaimed.

“You’re supposed to be on my side,” Damon looked at her mock betrayed.

“He’s my best friend!” she rolled her eyes. “And the reason we met, don’t forget that.”

“He’s just jealous because I’m cooler than him.”

“Right,” Caroline coughed to hide her laugh. “I’m an only child, too. I always wanted a little sister, though,” she sighed.

“I have a younger brother,” Lexi nodded. “I always wanted an older one too, though.”

“I can give you one of my brothers if you want. Specifically, Finn and maybe Elijah, but do you want Finn?”

“He is not even in the country,” Caroline reminded him.

“I know, it’s amazing. It’s the only time I don’t get to hear how mum loves him more and how he is mum’s favorite,” he rolled his eyes. “And since we’re living in different states, too, I get to enjoy more time without him and the old man nagging.”

“Klaus and his father don’t have a good relationship,” Caroline explained.

“I know how that is. My father left my mother and me when I was about seven,” she sighed. “I haven’t heard of him since.”

“My father hates me,” Klaus offered.

“My father disowned me because I am not like him,” Oliver added, joining the group. He brought a glass of orange juice in front of Felicity and kissed the top of her head. “And I am a bad example for Thea.”

“I hate to break it to you, buddy, but you are not a bad example,” Damon told him.

“I was, but I like to think that I have turned my life around, the last two years.”

“You have and Thea thinks you are the perfect example. Your father is an idiot,” Felicity stated confidently.

“I can’t argue with that,” he agreed.

“I agree. You are not my definition of a bad example. Far from it. At least, not how you are now. Listen to Felicity, she is smart,” Lexi said.

“The smartest,” she grinned teasingly.

Felicity had a great time hanging out with them and they even stayed until closing time. Oliver would join them from time to time for a few minutes.

Oliver and Felicity had finished the nursery, too. And then Felicity would clean it every other day. She knew it was clean, but she was so excited, and she needed something to do baby-related. Plus, she wanted it to be perfect for when their little berry arrived.

She had finally sorted through the free samples, Lexi kept providing. She had gotten a variety of bins and baskets for it. The prenatal ones were on her nightstand already, so she sorted them into two categories first; baby-related, and postpartum. She had accumulated several single wipe packs, which then she sorted by brand and type. Those were going to be handy for the diaper bag, as were the diaper samples. Then, she sorted the baby shampoo and shower gel samples, the diaper rash cream samples, etc. She put the bin with the formula samples in the kitchen next to the bottles they had gotten from the baby shower. When she was done with all the baby samples, she tackled the postpartum samples, putting some in the bathroom and some in the bedroom. That had taken her a whole evening.

She spent one other evening FaceTiming Thea, who wanted a detailed tour of everything baby related. So, Felicity gave it to her and then spent an hour discussing baby names. And then Felicity helped Thea with her math homework.

They had fallen into a new routine. Oliver would wake her up every morning and make breakfast. They would eat and then leave for classes. They would do their homework after they got home and then go for a walk in the park. They would have dinner and then Oliver would leave for work. Once or twice a week Felicity would join him and stay at the bar until it opened.

Felicity had become good friends with both Caroline and Lexi, and they would spend some afternoons together, sometimes joined by the boys. Every few days they would FaceTime Tommy and Thea, though the brunette would call felicity in the meantime if she needed help with her homework.

Felicity had finished her birth plan, too, with help from Lexi and Oliver. She had even color-coded it. She had ordered an onesie for the baby from an on-line store that did all sorts of fun things. [This particular onesie](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124896703838/) was scarlet red and had a yellow Mandrake with the quote ‘Fluent in Mandrake’. She picked it for the baby’s coming home from the hospital outfit.

Once Thea got wind of that store, of course, she got a few pieces for her nephew herself. And then Tommy got wind of it and it was complete madness. [They bought the baby a complete wardrobe](https://gr.pinterest.com/eleni_skar/cute-onesies/). Thea even got a couple matching aunt-nephew T-shirts/onesies, that were also shipped to them along with everything else, with a promise to only wear them when she was with them inside the house. Felicity had to admit that they were all cute and that she had no problem to let little berry be seen in them. And they made sure they got them in different sizes. Because they got him _a lot_ of things, from band onesies to cute quotes to movie puns. It was pretty amazing. And they probably spent a fortune, but then Felicity remembered that they were _billionaires_ , so she let them go crazy.

And then June rolled around, and they were buried in their books for the end of the term exams. Two brutal weeks of studying and reviewing were upon them. But they were finally done for the summer. Felicity was done period. She was graduating in September.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and welcome to chapter 6! I want to start off with a disclaimer; I have never given birth or witnessed one, all my knowledge is off the internet. So, with that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this one; I know that a lot of you have been waiting for this! And I am so excited to finally being able to post it. I hope you enjoy it, and as always let me know what you think and stay safe!

Thea arrived a week after their exams were over. Oliver drove to the private airstrip that the Queen jet used to take his sister home. He arrived ten minutes before the plane landed, on purpose, because a) he didn’t want to be late and b) he liked seeing planes take off and land, he thought it was cool.

Felicity was waiting for them at home because these days it was getting harder for her to move around a lot. Little berry had gotten big and Felicity was getting tired easier. But good news, they had finally picked a name, but they weren’t telling people. They let it slip to Lexi, who had become a good friend of theirs, that they had finally decided and she was begging them to tell her so she could brag to the rest of the crew, but she had to wait for the baby to be born, like the others.

“OLLIE!” The a exclaimed the moment her feet touched the ground.

“Speedy!” he grinned and hugged his sister tightly. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” she gave him a huge smile. “Come on, let’s go get my things and go home! I want to see Felicity!”

“Yes, ma’am,” he shook his head in amusement. Thea always tried to boss him around.

They got Thea’s huge suitcase and got it in the car. The twenty minutes that it took to reach the apartment, Thea talked nonstop. She was so excited to be there she could barely sit still. She wanted to meet everyone and come with them to the next appointment with Lexi, she wanted to do everything.

And she was excited because Tommy was flying in on July 1st and was staying for two weeks, so they could _finally_ hang out together, without a screen separating them.

When Oliver parked the car in front of their place, Thea almost flew out of the window to get out of the car. Oliver got her _heavy_ suitcase out of the car, who knew what she had in there, and climbed the steps to their front door. He had barely unlocked the door when she pushed it open, eager to finally see Felicity.

“Babe, we’re home,” Oliver called before Thea could scare the hell out of her.

“Hey!” she called from the sofa, which was going to serve as Thea’s bed as well.

“Felicity!” Thea exclaimed eagerly.

“Welcome to Boston, Thea!” Felicity stood up, which was a little bit of a feat, and came over to hug her. “it’s _so_ good to have you here,” she beamed.

“And I am super excited to be here!” she grinned from ear to ear. “How are you? How is the little berry?”

“He is a little active today. Give me your hand,” she said and when Thea did, Felicity placed it on the top left of her belly. A few seconds later, the baby boy kicked his aunt for the very first time.

“Wow. Just Wow,” her eyes widened in wonder. “Does it hurt?”

“Not if he doesn’t kick my ribcage or something like that,” she assured her. “Now, both of you go wash your hands, so we can show Thea the nursery and open the package that arrived just a few minutes ago.”

“What package?” Oliver asked, not remembering having ordered anything in the last few days.

“The gazillion onesies Thea and Tommy got for little berry. We’re going to wash them, iron them, sort them and put them away,”

“Awesome! We got some cool things,” Thea said proudly. “Move it, Oliver.”

“I like her,” Felicity grinned at her boyfriend as he showed his sister to the bathroom, rolling his eyes.

Felicity loved having Thea stay with them. The younger girl had the perfect amount of sass in her and it was so entertaining to see her interact with Oliver, who smiled a little bit more ever since his sister stepped foot in Boston.

They took her to the bar the first day, to meet everyone face to face, as she had met them through FaceTime at the baby shower. They left before opening because technically Thea wasn’t supposed to be there. But the ladies returned home, and Thea asked Felicity a lot of things about her pregnancy and the baby, things that didn’t ask in front of Oliver. They had some girl time, which they both welcomed.

Thea shared with Felicity her fantasies about how Oliver would tell their parents he got his degree and he was in full control of his trusts. Thea had a flare for the dramatic, which was great entertainment. But jokes aside, Thea hadn’t forgiven her parents about how they treated Oliver or that because of them she had only seen him once in almost two years. Or how they acted like nothing had happened telling people they had sent him off to train him as the next QC CEO.

They thought that Oliver would be a good little obedient boy if and when he returned, but they were in for a rude awakening. And Thea wanted to be there to witness all of it. And especially the parts where Oliver will tell them that they no longer have controlling interest of the company and that they had to hand over to him almost half the jewelry vault. They were going to freak, and she was going to enjoy every moment of it.

“Imagine what they will happen when they find out that Oliver is a dad,” Felicity mused.

“I want to be there for that, too, even if I want both you and little berry as far away from them as possible,” Thea stated. “My parents are weird people. Nowadays, their marriage is a business transaction because it will be catastrophic for them to divorce.”

“Because of a prenup, you mean?”

“For the most part. The press will get wind of their dirty business one way or the other, and it will probably be the worst publicity, just as bad if it was to become known that they have disowned they son and haven’t heard of him in two years, while they say to everyone he is in Europe training and living his life. They even fly to Europe every couple of months to back up that story,” she rolled her eyes. “At least it’s easy for me to use all of that to be able to visit. I should have thought of it sooner, but better late than never. There was no way in hell I was going to miss the birth of my nephew.”

“I wish you didn’t have to go through all that, but I am glad you are here with us. Ever since I met Oliver, I’ve met people that I call my family, and even though little berry was an accident it’s the best accident of my life and I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Felicity said softly.

“You know, Tommy and I have been talking, and we decided that we are adopting you,” Thea said leaning back to look at her better. “No, no, don’t cry! I didn’t mean to make you sad.

“Sorry, hormones,” she wiped her tears and pulled Thea in a hug. “I never had a family, not truly. But now I have a whole village on my side,” she said referring to Oliver, Thea, Tommy, Anne, JJ, Rania, Mary, Lexi, Caroline, Damon, and Klaus.

“We’re a miss-matched family, but we are the best,” Thea said proudly. “And soon, we are going to have another little member.”

“Yes, we are. Just two more weeks.”

“Finally! I feel like I’ve been waiting forever!”

“Tell me about it,” Felicity groaned. “He is lucky I love him because carrying him around has not been easy, especially the last few weeks. And I have to pee every five minutes.”

“Just a little bit more, Felicity, and then we are going to have a little human with the cutest clothes on the planet!”

“Oh, yes, between you and Tommy he does have the cutest onesies,” she chuckled.

“And wait to see what I have planned for your graduation,” she grinned. “Though I still don’t know if I am going to make it, the little berry is going to be the most stylish baby that day!”

“For that, I have no doubt,” Felicity chuckled.

“And I will do my very best to be here, promise.”

“I don’t want to get you in trouble,” Felicity worried.

“You won’t, don’t worry.”

Two days later, they had their appointment with Lexi, and Thea was tagging along. Lexi was so excited to meet her, especially so since she got to meet her before Damon. He was going to be miffed!

“Hi, Thea! It’s so great to meet you!” Lexi smiled.

“You, too, Dr. Lexi!”

“Just Lexi,” she reminded her. “Come on, let’s check our little berry,” she waved for them to move their butts to the examination room.

Everything was perfect with both mama and little berry. He was even assuming the position for birth. Thea was in awe of her little nephew, and Felicity for going through all that. She was carrying a whole human inside her, for crying out loud!

Before leaving, Lexi took a selfie with Thea and sent it to Damon with an evil smile on her face. They had weird friends.

Thea helped her pack her hospital bag as per Lexi’s instructions and advice. They made a night out of it. They put on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban after Oliver had left for the bar. They put the suitcase on the coffee table and gathered the various items they were going to pack on the sofa. After they triple checked they had everything, they packed the suitcase, though they left it on the coffee table for Oliver to move it by the door when he came home.

With Felicity being so close to her due date, they had weekly appointments with Lexi, so next week when they got to the clinic, Damon was waiting for them in the waiting area. He had had a busy week, so he hadn’t had time to swing by their apartment to meet Thea, so he thought he’d come by the clinic.

Thea and Damon had been chatting for ten minutes or so before Lexi showed up and shooed him away. He was scaring the babies, she had said teasingly, though he had to meet his father for something.

Tommy’s arrival in Boston coincided with Oliver’s last day at the bar, for the next six weeks at least, so Tommy went with him to the bar to hang out.

They had arranged for a movie night with Tommy, Lexi, Damon, Caroline, and Klaus. Lexi chose the movie so that it wasn’t a thriller and scare Felicity into labor or a too funny of a movie so her water wouldn’t break from laughing too much. They saw the Avengers and they ate a ton of popcorn.

On the morning of July 6th, Felicity started having contractions sporadically. She didn’t tell Oliver because he was going to panic, the Braxton-Hicks were unforgettable, but she texted Lexi, who told her what to do to be more comfortable and gave her strict orders about when to go to the hospital and call for her.

Felicity spent her day in bed. She knew all three of them were suspicious, but they didn’t say anything. They probably didn’t want to make her panic, if only they knew. But they were overly accommodating. They were coming and going from the bedroom quietly, trying not to disturb her, checking on her.

Oliver asked her every hour on the dot if she was okay and if she needed anything, which was getting a little on her nerves, but that was probably because of the contractions. She managed to hide all the wincing behind her book every time a contraction hit, but she had a couple of close calls.

That night before going to bed, Oliver was extra careful not to disturb her, and Tommy left with instructions to his best friend to call him if anything happened.

Felicity didn’t sleep all that well that night, because her contractions were closer together and more painful, so she wasn’t all that surprised when her water broke at three in the morning.

“Oh, god,” she gasped quietly because even though she knew she was in labor, she was freaking out a little at the moment. “Oliver? Oliver!”

“Wha?” he asked sleepily.

“My water just broke,” she said holding her breath.

“Kay, babe,” he hummed. And then he shot up in the bed. “WHAT?”

“My water just broke, and we need to call Lexi and go to the hospital,” she explained as calmly as she could.

“Hospital! Right!” he said looking around for his phone. He found it and almost dropped it twice before he managed to unlock it and call Lexi. “Lexi! Baby’s coming!” he exclaimed. “Yes, she just woke me and told me. She is right next to me. Yes. Babe, Lexi says to have a shower and get ready. I’ll go wake, Thea. She’s meeting us at the hospital.”

“Okay, I’ll go shower and you wake Thea. And Tommy! Call Tommy and JJ!” she said standing up. A contraction hit her after three steps. Damn, they were getting stronger and stronger. She made it to the bathroom just as Oliver made it to Thea.

“Thea? Wake up,” he shook her.

“Go away,” she slapped his hands.

“Speedy, I need you to wake up. Little berry is coming.”

“What?! I’m up!” She jumped out of the bed and started looking around for her clothes. “Felicity?”

“She is in the shower. We’re leaving as soon as she is ready.”

“Right, okay,” she nodded nervously.

“it’s going to be fine, Speedy, okay?” he assured her.

“Okay,” she nodded. “Go to her, see if she needs help.”

Oliver called JJ first, hoping to catch him before he went to bed and he did. Rania was with him and any other time Oliver would have teased him, but now it wasn’t the time. JJ promised to call Anne and Mary and meet them at the hospital.

Tommy was a little trickier and Oliver had to call him twice to wake him up, while he was dressing, and repeat himself three times before the information registered.

The ride to the hospital was quiet, as all three of them were nervous and Felicity was in a considerable amount of pain.

They were driving to the public hospital Lexi was working at and had agreed to use for the birth. Of course, when they had them wait for half an hour to find them a room, Oliver regretted so much not being able to flash around his name and money. During that half-hour, Felicity’s pain had reached new levels and was practically crashing his hand, but he kept his mouth shut. He knew she was in _a lot_ of pain. Tommy joined them just as Lexi came through the doors yelling and ushering them to a room as quickly as she could.

The first thing Tommy did, literally before anything else, was set up the camera and hit recording. He was not missing Oliver fainting, even if it was just a possibility.

“Oliver, help her change in the hospital gown, and I will be back in a minute. Tommy, why don’t you take Thea to get some hot chocolate? You should find Damon there, too. He went to grab some coffee,” Lexi suggested pushing them out of the room.

“How are you doing, babe?” Oliver asked her softly, helping her out of her dress.

“I’m in a lot of pain. Like a lot, but here’s hoping I can get my epidural soon,” she sighed pulling the hospital gown on. “I want a hug.”

Oliver didn’t even reply. He simply wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back. “it’s going to be perfectly fine, sweetheart,” he kissed her cheek.

“And then, we’re going to have our baby,” she smiled which turned into a wince when another contraction hit. “Oh, they’re getting closer and closer,” she groaned.

Lexi came back at that moment, “How are we doing?” she asked putting on a pair of gloves.

“I’m in a lot of pain and I want my epidural,” Felicity said, not bothering to pull away from Oliver.

“Come on, mama. Let’s give you a quick check and then see about that epidural,” Lexi patted the bed.

Felicity reluctantly pulled away from Oliver and he helped her on the bed. Lexi positioned her legs and gave her a quick exam. “Felicity, babe, we don’t have time for an epidural. You’re crowning.”

“What?! No! Lexi! I can’t be crowing already!” she panicked.

“Hey, Felicity. It’s going to be fine, sweetheart,” Oliver tried to soother her. “We’re going to get through this together, okay?”

“Oliver, I’m about to squeeze a human the size of a _watermelon_ out of a _tiny_ hole, _without_ my epidural!” she yelled.

“Even if I give you the epidural, it needs about fifteen minutes to numb you and by that time, it will be useless. So, I’m going to go get a nurse, and then we are having a baby,” Lexi said covering her with a sheet and then quickly walked out of the room.

“I can’t do it, Oliver. I can’t,” Felicity said frantically.

“Felicity, you are the strongest person I know. You can do this, and I will be right here, okay? Our baby needs you, and I wish I could do more, but I can’t. You have to do all the hard work, but it’s for our little berry,” he said softly, squeezing her hand and kissing her.

Tommy, Thea, and Damon waltzed in the room with hot chocolate in hand. “How are you doing Felicity?” Thea asked.

“I’m literally about to give birth _without_ my epidural,” she said sighing.

“What? Why?” Tommy panicked.

“You’re crowning?” Damon asked. When you are dating an OB/GYN you pick up a few things.

“Yeah,” Oliver said.

“She is crowning, and I am very proud that you know what that is, but kindly get out,” Lexi said, returning with a nurse following her.

“Right! Good luck, Felicity. We’ll be right outside,” Damon sent her his most supportive smile and dragged the other two out.

“Send Caroline in when she gets here!” Lexi called over her shoulder.

“Yes, hon!” he called back.

“I forgot to call them!” Oliver blanched.

“Don’t worry, I did. This is Nurse Lilian and she will be assisting us today. Now, Felicity, when the next contraction hits, I want you to push, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” she nodded nervously. She grabbed Oliver’s hand tightly and looked at him with big eyes.

“I love you,” he told her.

“I love you, too,” she leaned her head back on the bed.

Her next contraction hit, and Felicity pushed. And god, was it painful. and then she pushed again and again. She didn’t know how long she had been pushing, but she remembered Caroline coming in with a big smile on her face.

“I need a big push now, okay?” Lexi told her.

“Just a little bit more, babe, and then we’ll have little berry,” Oliver encouraged her.

“The head’s almost out, Felicity,” Caroline told her. “You’re doing great.”

“He’s okay, right?” she asked anxiously.

“He is perfectly fine, Felicity. We’re monitoring him and his heartbeat is what we want it to be.”

So, Felicity pushed with everything that she got. She could mostly hear herself groaning, until Lexi’s exclamation, “There we go mama,” she said happily and placed her son on her chest. “Time of birth 4:44 am.”

“Oh my god,” she gasped, gingerly embracing the tiny crying baby. She felt Oliver’s arms snaking around her and him kissing her head.

“I love you so much,” he told her.

“We did it, Oliver,” she cried happily.

“ _You_ did it, sweetheart. And I am so proud of you,” he kissed her. “And we are very happy to meet you, little man.”

“And does he have a name?” Lexi asked eagerly.

Felicity and Oliver looked at each other and she nodded at him. “William Alexander Queen,” Oliver said proudly. It was weird sharing it with people. It had been their little secret after they had finally decided on it, of course.

“A beautiful name, for a beautiful baby,” Caroline smiled proudly.

“Do you want to cut the cord, dad?” Lexi offered him the scissors.

“Yeah,” he nodded accepting them. He was careful to position the blades exactly as Lexi told him and cut it.

“How about we clean little William up, while mama delivers the afterbirth?” Caroline said, taking William from his mama. “Come on, buddy. Mama has a little bit of work left to do and then she is all yours,” she told the baby as she carried him to the other side of the room.

“He is so tiny,” Felicity breathed.

“His size is normal, and the good news is that you didn’t tear. Now, I need you to push a little more to get the placenta out, okay?”

“Okay.”

Then minutes later, Felicity had delivered the placenta and the nurse had cleaned her up, and William was given a clean bill of health and was wrapped in one of the dinosaur swaddles, sporting a hospital bracelet on his little arm.

“Hey, little man,” Felicity beamed at her son in her arms. She was tired. So tired, but so happy, too.

“He’s perfect,” Oliver said hoarsely.

“He is. And we made him,” she said emotionally, placing a hand over his.

“We did,” he smiled and kissed her hand. “Thank you.”

“For what?” she frowned.

“For making me a dad,” he said sincerely.

“You’re welcome, though I’m certain you helped in making me a mama, too,” she teased lightly.

“Still, you did all the hard work. And I know it wasn’t easy, especially with me being gone so many hours during the night. And I love you all the more for it.”

“It wasn’t easy, but he’s worth it,” Felicity said, looking at their baby, who was feeding.

“I want you to know, that no matter what happens, I will always be there for both of you and I will always love you and William. That’s a promise,” he said and pulled [a ring](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124896714722/) from his pocket. “and this is a promise ring, to symbolize exactly that,” he slipped it on her left ring finger, “I know it’s a little cliché, but…”

“It’s perfect. Thank you,” she said with tears in her eyes.

“You weren’t supposed to cry,” he said alarmed.

“Happy tears,” she assured him. “I love you so much. And I promise that I will always be there for you, too. And I want to kiss you, badly, but I’m afraid to move. I don’t want to disturb him.”

Oliver chuckled and leaned forward and captured her lips in a loving kiss.

“I think we should shut the camera down and then tell people to come in and meet William,” Felicity said. “And ask Lexi if I can have a snack because I’m starving.”

“Yeah, I’m sure they are dying to meet him and find out his name if Lexi and Caroline didn’t tell them,” Oliver said turning the camera off and putting back in its case. Then he walked to the door and opened it. The sight that greeted him, warmed his heart.

Anne and Mary had their heads on each other’s shoulders, while Thea slept with her head on Tommy’s. Lexi was sitting next to Damon who had an arm around her, keeping her close to him, Caroline was comfortable in Klaus’s lap, while JJ and Rania were sitting next to each other holding hands.

No one noticed him at first, so he managed to snap a couple of photos. He knew Felicity would want them for her album. “Guys?” he called softly.

Thea’s head shot up and turned to her brother so fast, that Oliver was afraid she’d pull something. “Can we meet him yet?”

“Yes, Speedy, you can. Come on,” he waved them all in.

The group moved inside the room and stood around Felicity’s bed.

“Everyone, we’d like you to meet William Alexander Queen, our son,” he beamed looking at his baby in his mama’s arms.

“God, Ollie! He’s beautiful,” Thea marveled at her nephew.

“And tiny,” JJ said.

“How are you, dear?” Anne asked.

“So tired, but so happy,” she smiled tiredly. “But I want a photo with all of you and then a photo of you guys holding William each if you’re up to it?”

“I’ll get a nurse to take the photo!” Lexi grinned and dashed to the nurses’ station. She came back with a different nurse who was happy to take the picture.

“Gather round people,” Thea ordered them. It took a minute for everyone to take their place on both sides of the bed, but they got some great photos. Then, Oliver took the pictures with their family -because those people were their family- holding William.

They left when the last picture was taken, to let Felicity rest and get some sleep themselves, too. Thea went home with Lexi and Damon, promising to come back in the morning as soon as visiting hours started. Oliver was staying with Felicity, something for which Felicity was thankful.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, my god! I'm terrible, I know. I'm so very sorry it took me so long to update, but Lady Inspiration hasn't been around much lately. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter. As always, let me know what you think and stay safe!

True to her word, Thea came in the next morning with Lexi, half an hour before visiting hours, but Lexi was able to smuggle her in. The sight that greeted her was the cutest. Oliver was on the bed with Felicity, his left arm around her, and a sleeping William on his right, laying on his chest. Thea snapped a couple of pictures and sat on the room’s sofa quietly, not wanting to disturb them.

Thea had advanced a few levels on Angry Birds by the time Oliver woke up. “Speedy? Hey, what time is it?”

“Almost ten,” she replied quietly not wanting to wake Felicity.

“How long have you been here?”

“About half an hour. You were sleeping when I came in and I didn’t want to disturb you. But I snapped the cutest photo!” she got up and showed him.

“Can you send it to me?” Felicity asked sleepily.

“Hey,” Oliver kissed her head.

“We had the baby! I thought I was dreaming,” she rubbed her eyes. “How are you, little man?” she ran her forefinger over his little hand.

Baby William opened his little eyes and looked at his mama, and then let out a yawn. “Come on buddy, let’s give you to mama. I have a feeling you’ll be screaming your head off if we don’t feed you soon,” Oliver said and carefully transferred the baby to Felicity. He kissed her and hopped off the bed.

“Are you hungry, sweetheart?” he asked his girlfriend.

“Oh, yes. I’m starving. Giving birth gives you an appetite,” she nodded, positioning William for his feed.

“Come on, let’s go get us some breakfast, Speedy.”

They returned with muffins, chicken sandwiches, and an orange juice for Felicity. They were surprised to see Tommy on the sofa, watching completely amazed as Felicity fed William. He had brought a big bouquet, too.

“Hey, Tommy, I didn’t think we’d bee seeing you so early,” Oliver teased.

“I have a response, but I’m sure that if I used a bad word in front of the baby, Felicity would hit me,” he rolled his eyes.

“Did you have breakfast?” Thea asked.

“Yeah, I ate at the hotel. I didn’t want to smell coffee since Felicity can’t have any while she’s breastfeeding.”

“Thank you, Tommy. That’s very sweet of you,” Felicity smiled at him thankfully. She had missed coffee.

Oliver gave her the juice to drink while it was fresh and sat on the chair next to her. And when she was done feeding William, he gave her one of the sandwiches.

“How is it? Being parents to such a handsome little man?” Tommy asked, stealing one of the muffins.

“Perfect,” Oliver said looking at their baby sleeping in his sister’s arms.

“I still can’t believe he is here,” Felicity said. “I have been carrying him around everywhere and it’s so weird to hold him. And he is lucky I love him so much because giving birth without drugs is _painful_.”

“Tommy was freaking out when you said that you couldn’t have the epidural,” Thea grinned. “But you should have seen JJ, every time we’d hear you push, Felicity, it was like someone was punching him. I felt bad for him.”

“Did you see Damon’s face when he held William? I thought the poor guy was going to cry,” Tommy said.

“Yeah, I think he wants to have a baby with Lexi, but he’s waiting for the right time to bring it up. But if Lexi’s expression was anything to go by, she wants a baby, too,” Felicity said, taking a bite of her sandwich.

“They’ll make cute babies,” Thea nodded.

“So, who won the baby name pool?” Oliver asked.

“Well, Tommy lost because he thought the middle name was going to be ‘Oliver’, I lost because I thought you might incorporate a family name, all the rest of the ladies lost because they thought you were going with a modern name, JJ lost because he thought you were going to do something with initials, so I suppose Damon who said you were going with a powerful name and Klaus who voted classic names are the two winners on the first and middle name. but Lexi and I won the surname pool,” The explained mentally running through the people in on the bet.

“Speaking of bets, someone is attending the Humanitarian Award Ceremony this year, and owes me fifty bucks,” Tommy grinned.

“True, but you have to attend, too, to make sure I will be there,” Thea smirked.

“Oh, damn,” he facepalmed.

“You’d think that by now, you wouldn’t bet against her, even if she was the one to technically lose,” Oliver rolled his eyes.

“I know, right! But at least I won, and I will remind her forever and ever and ever,” he sighed dramatically.

“Uncle Tommy is an idiot, William. Aunt Thea on the other hand is very smart, so never listen to him, okay?” Thea cooed at the baby.

“Our lives just became a lot more interesting, huh?” Felicity looked at her boyfriend.

“You have no idea,” he shook his head amused.

Lexi came by to see them and check on Felicity a little later. And cuddle the baby. JJ and Rania came by, too, and JJ was carrying a teddy bear that was almost as big as him. Caroline popped in for a few minutes, but she had to go soon for her shift. Anne came, too, and Mary. Damon and Klaus came in late in the afternoon, after they got off work, to see them.

Mama and baby had gotten a clean bill of health and they were going home in the morning, so Oliver left Felicity with Thea and Tommy for a couple of hours to go home and change their sheets, have a shower, and put the car seat in the car. He took the teddy bear with him and put him on the sofa.

Tommy got Thea a room at his hotel for the night, so they left together, promising to be there at eight the next morning to go home together.

Felicity was dressed by the time Thea and Tommy arrived the next morning and was dressing William in his little Mandrake [onesie](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124896703838/). He seemed even smaller on Felicity’s hospital bed.

“Aw, look at my handsome nephew,” Thea cooed.

“He takes after his godfather,” Tommy grinned.

“Uh, have you met his dad?” Felicity teased.

“Speaking of, where is he?” Thea asked looking around for her brother.

“He went to fetch the car seat. He should be up in a minute or so,” Felicity said picking up William and placing him against her chest.

“Hey, guys,” Oliver greeted them, dropping a kiss on his sister’s head. He kissed Felicity and little berry’s foot, before putting the car seat on the bed.

“So, we have something for Felicity,” Thea said, elbowing Tommy.

“Right, we do!” he said patting his pockets until he produced a velvet jewelry box. He opened it and Thea took the [ring](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/176625616626986599/) that nestled inside.

“We’re are a family, all of us, so we got you a ring with everyone’s birthstones, because, well you’re the glue and the mama of this family. We love you so much, Felicity, and thank you for being in our lives,” Thea said from her heart.

Felicity passed William to Oliver and pulled Thea in a hug and then pulled Tommy, too. “You guys sure know how to make a girl cry,” she gave a wet chuckle. “I love you, too, and I am so proud to call you my family,” she said and let them go.

“It’s for your middle finger, but I think it should be fine on your ring finger until the swell goes down,” Thea said and put it on her finger. “Who else made you cry?” she frowned.

“Oliver, but happy tears,” she said and showed Thea her ring.

“Oh, it’s beautiful. Well done, bro.”

“Thanks, I think.”

“Hello, gang,” Lexi stepped inside, her arms full of pamphlets and hospital freebies. “How’s our little man?”

“He just ate fifteen minutes ago, and we changed him, so he is a happy fella.”

“And how is our mama?” Lexi walked over to Felicity.

“Ready to go home,” she said eagerly.

“Good thing I’m here to discharge you then,” she said and put the things she was carrying on the bed. “Of course, I couldn’t let you leave without some freebies. And some pamphlets for the first weeks home with the new baby.”

“What are all those things?” Tommy looked at them curiously.

“There are some diaper and formula samples, some baby bath products, and some postpartum care products for Felicity,” Lexi said.

“I’ll tell you all about them when we get home,” Felicity assured him.

“Okay,” he nodded.

“Your paperwork is all in order,” Lexi gave Felicity some papers, “but I have to see the baby on the car seat to let you go.”

“Hear that, William? We’re going home,” Oliver said to his son, gently putting him on the car seat.

“Yes, you are. And if you need absolutely anything call either Caroline or me. And we will swing by in a few days to check on you, but mostly to cuddle with the baby,” Lexi winked at the.

“I think Damon and Klaus are thinking about moving in with us, just so they can play with William.”

“Can you blame them? Have you met a cuter baby?” Thea asked.

“I think he is the first baby I meet, other than you,” Oliver frowned.

“I remember you being pink,” Tommy mused. “Probably because you were crying _all day._ ”

“No, I wasn’t. I was a perfect angel,” Thea glared.

One hour later, they were back home for the first time with their baby. Thea was recording every moment of it, providing commentary as well.

“Welcome home, William,” Felicity whispered emotionally.

“We’ve been waiting a very long time, buddy,” Oliver smiled tenderly.

He placed the car seat on the dining table and let Felicity take him. She carefully cradled him against her chest, careful not to disturb him. “Let’s get you to your bed, little man. I’m sure you want to nap, and mama wants to shower.”

It was funny. William was escorted by four people and one camera to his bed. When Felicity put him on his crib, he made a little sound and they all held their breath, afraid he would cry, but he settled quickly.

Oliver put an arm around Felicity and pulled her to him, hugging her close. They did it. They had their baby and they had brought him home. It was the first day of the rest of their lives.

“I love you,” she whispered against his chest.

“I love you, too,” he said contently.

“And we love you, too, little man,” she smiled down at their son.

Later that day, baby William was asleep after he had his feed, and Thea and Tommy had sent the new parents to nap, as well. They were sitting on the sofa, with the TV playing on the background.

“My parents are idiots. Big fat idiots,” Thea stated.

“I mean, they treated Oliver inexcusably, but I wouldn’t call them fat,” Tommy cocked his head, making Thea roll her eyes and hit his arm.

“They pushed him away, Tommy. They told him that until he got his MBA, he wasn’t their son and that they didn’t want him to even speak to them if he didn’t have his MBA. And even though this prompted Oliver to do better, it doesn’t make it right. They’ve already lost two years of his life and the birth of his son, what else are they going to miss? And what am I going to miss because of their stupidity?”

“I know that it’s not ideal, living most things through a screen, but you were here for the birth, and I’m sure you will be here for Felicity’s graduation, not to mention that there is no one that can keep you from attending Oliver’s. and I know you will be here every summer to celebrate little berry’s birthdays. You’re here for the important things, and you support them as best as you can,” Tommy said.

“I wish I didn’t have to sneak around and throw around threats, though. I wish I could be with them every day. But that won’t happen for the foreseeable future. I’m not sure Ollie’s coming back to Starling for more than a few days, ever. And maybe that’s for the best. I have to wait at least four years to be an adult and do what I want,” she sighed.

“What do you think will happen when -in the distant future- the press gets wind that Ollie is a dad?”

“Frenzy. Complete and utter frenzy,” Thea giggled.

“Me, too. Laurel is going to blow a casket for sure, and guess who she’ll turn to when she won’t be able to reach Oliver.”

“Us, as in me, you and my parents, the people that will probably find out through the tabloids,” she laughed evilly. “I want to be there to see their faces _so_ bad.”

“Oh, your mom is going to have a stroke and your dad a heart attack,” he smirked.

“And by the way, Laurel should get over Oliver and move on. that ship has sailed. Have you noticed how he looks at Felicity?”

“Like she hung the moon and the stars? Yeah, I’ve noticed.”

“I could see it before I even arrived. But seeing it in person… He is head over heels in love with her and she is no better. She practically melts every time he kisses her,” she smiled, even though they were cavities. “I caught him looking at Grandma Queen’s ring the other day when Felicity was napping. She gave it to him before she died and Oliver took it with him when he left Starling.”

“We talked about it. He can’t imagine his life without her and frankly, I can’t imagine Oliver or us without her,” Tommy nodded. “But he wants to wait a few months before he brings up marriage and things. Don’t forget that Felicity is turning nineteen in two weeks. She is young.”

“She is, but she is so mature and awesome, I want to be able to officially call her my sister. Because she is. I’ve adopted her,” Thea stated.

“Me, too. And I have a job offer for her, to work from home since she has stopped working at the bar. Babies are expensive and we need her talents at MGG.”

“You need a hacker?” she frowned.

“Yeah, we’ve had some nasty surprises the last couple of months and I mentioned to my father that I know someone who we should employ, a genius and everything, and he said that we can hire her for a few months and if it goes well we will hire her steadily, so I’ll ask her when she wakes,” Tommy explained.

“Did you know they called her from QC offer her a job?”

“No, I didn’t. That’s ironic,” he raised an eyebrow.

“I had overheard my father saying that they wanted her, one day. He was talking with his CFO. She is very promising, and her professors have nothing but glowing recommendations, so he wanted to recruit her for the IT department. I had mostly forgotten about it until they called her from HR the other day. She turned them down so fast, my head was spinning,” she laughed quietly.

“I wish I could see your dad’s face when he realizes he wanted his son’s partner and the mother of his grandchild, who is a freaking genius, and she turned him down and she will potentially work for MGG,” Tommy said.

“We’re going to live through some epic moments in the future involving my parents and Oliver.”

“Yes, we are,” Tommy nodded. “And not only with them. Imagine what will happen with Laurel. She’s been calling me again, asking about Oliver.”

“Oh, good god,” Thea groaned. “She needs to get over it. She is not going to be the next Mrs. Queen, and she has already slept with half your high school class, what else does she want?”

“She believes that she can sway Oliver and have him agree to what your parents want. Apparently, your mother told her the truth, counting on her to manipulate him again to do what they want.”

“Good thing I have her naked ass on Carter Bowen’s car, then. I think I’ll need something to hold over her head,” she sighed.

“You know, sometimes you’re scaring me.”

“Good, because I have some dirt on you, as well.”

“You have dirt on everyone!” he exclaimed quietly.

“Most of Starling’s elite have a file on my blackmail stash. Laurel has as well. I don’t want her to cause any trouble. I should see about getting more info on her, of course.”

“I don’t even know what to say,” he shook his head.

“Yeah, you should see what I have on my parents. If you knew you’d freak and then you would never look at them the same way.”

“What do you mean?” he frowned.

“For one, their marriage was a business transaction, which the two of them arranged. Their prenup is thirty-five pages long. And I have made copies. I think this is one of the reasons why grandma Queen wasn’t all that fond of my mother. Speaking of, I have copies of her will, which has detailed instructions about our Queen trusts and there are things in there that they never told us. Oliver found it, about a year before his falling out with the parents.”

“He mentioned something along the lines,” Tommy nodded.

“It’s very illuminating. My parents will have a rude awaking in about two years when he graduates, and he will have full control of his trust. Among other things, he will have control 10% of QC’s shares.”

“And your parents will not have the majority vote,” he nodded understanding.

“Not to mention that if he decided to sell those shares, QC’s competition would kill each other to buy them. And they would give him _a lot_ of money,” she emphasized.

“I don’t think he will sell them. Only because it’s your company and your future as well. And it is a good investment. I know it makes him a good amount of money each month. Well, it makes money for his trust, but you know what I mean.”

“True and now with William, he won’t do anything radical,” Thea said. “He’s matured a lot, the last two years and Felicity has a lot to do with it.”

“Her and William, both,” Tommy agreed. “They make a beautiful family, don’t you think?”

“They do,” Thea nodded.

“I’m a little jealous, but I don’t think that I’m ready to be a dad yet. I’ll stick to the cool uncle.”

“I know people that will fight you for that title,” Thea rolled her eyes.

“Whatever, I am the godfather,” he rolled his eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome back! I'm back with another chapter and I have a feeling you'll love what is going to happen in this one 😉😉😉😉. I'm also proud to say that I have written another chapter, finally. I'm currently editing chapter ten, so that's something. Anyway, I want to hear from you; what do you want to see in this story (other than LL and the Queen parents finding out) and what other stories do you want to see from me? I love hearing from you! And who knows? I may already have something in my arsenal from the things you want to see or maybe you will inspire me to write something else, too. As always don't forget to tell me what you think and STAY SAFE! Corona is still out here! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

July went by in a blur. It was perfect and a little gruesome at the same time. But Oliver and Felicity were so happy, even if a little sleep deprived. They had their little berry finally in their arms and it was perfect. Thea had been a great help, too. When the new parents napped, she took care of William. Felicity had shown her how to change his diaper and how to heat the breast milk she kept in the fridge. The swing came in handy, too.

Tommy was miffed that he had to go back to Starling, a week after William’s birth, but at least he would fly in again soon because Felicity had agreed to work for MGG, so he was going to bring her contract and see his godson, too.

Felicity helped Thea with her laptop’s security, as it stored all the digital copies of her blackmail stash. Felicity had written a program for her that asked seven different codes to access certain files. And the codes she chose to use were impossible to find for her parents because they had no idea about her life in Boston. Oliver took her to buy an external hard drive and a thumb drive to make copies of her files, and Felicity installed the same program.

On Felicity’s birthday, they had a small celebration at home. Oliver cooked, Thea took care of [the cake](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124896702482/) and their friends showed up with presents. Well, Tommy had mailed his, and was present via FaceTime, but still.

They had a great time and even little William enjoyed seeing all his uncles and aunts. Oliver had booked her a full spa day for her and another person, Thea was going to be the lucky one, and the brunette had gotten her a big wooden album that had some photos in it from the last days of her pregnancy until Will’s first day home, with plenty of pages for Felicity to fill. Thea even included the photos Oliver took at the hospital with their friends sleeping while waiting for them to introduce them to William. Tommy had sent Felicity the latest laptop on the market.

August was a little rougher because Oliver had gone back to work, but again Thea was a great help. They took the little man in the park in the mornings before it got too hot and then came back home. Felicity would work a little, while Thea played with her nephew, or read to him and Oliver usually studied for an hour or so. Then Oliver would make lunch, sometimes attempting to teach Thea a thing or two in the kitchen. She was better at it than Felicity.

Tommy flew a week before Thea was due to leave, bringing Felicity’s contract. He was staying for a few days, which was perfect for everyone and especially Thea and Felicity, who were able to go to the spa and enjoy Oliver’s gift. They had a wonderful time. they both needed a break and some girl time. they even went shopping together the next day for Felicity’s [graduation outfit.](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124896702482/)

The day before Tommy and Thea were to leave, they had a pizza night with Lexi, Damon, Caroline, and Klaus. Thea made sure to tell them she expected them to keep in touch. They all promised that and to send her tons and tons of photos.

“We’ll miss you, kid,” Damon told her.

The next morning was a tearful one. William cried more than usual, and Thea and Felicity cried too when it was time to say goodbye. Thea gave the biggest hug to her little nephew and told him to keep an eye on his parents and that she loved him very much.

Oliver was a little teary-eyed as well. He was going to miss his sister, a lot.

Things were difficult for Felicity, especially since Oliver got back to school a week later, so she was alone with William most of the time. but thank god, William was a well-mannered baby. And the swing Thea got them for the baby shower was a huge help when she was working.

Oliver did his best to help her and made sure to be the one to get Will on weekend mornings, to let Felicity catch up on some sleep. He would feed him and change him, and then take him to the park for a little bit. They were always home before Felicity woke up and snuggled together on the bed. It was Felicity’s favorite way to wake up.

When it was time for Caroline to give him his first shots, Felicity had tears in her eyes and Oliver wasn’t fairing all that better. Caroline made sure to tell Thea.

Felicity’s graduation ceremony was on the third Saturday of September. Thea hadn’t told them if she was attending, and they didn’t pressure her because they knew that she wanted to attend so badly, but there was a good chance that she wouldn’t be able to.

Tommy flew in on Friday evening and drove straight to their place. However, when Felicity opened the door, he wasn’t alone. Thea was standing in front of Tommy with a huge smile on her face.

“Oh my god, you made it!” Felicity exclaimed and attacked her with a hug.

“There was no way I was missing it! I thought I’d surprise you,” Thea said.

Thea and Tommy had gotten hotel rooms for the weekend. They were flying back to Starling on Sunday, late in the afternoon.

The graduation ceremony was set to start at noon, so Thea was over at the apartment at ten o’clock sharp. Thea had gotten William [the cutest outfit](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/7459155621867062/) for his mama’s graduation, so she let the boys take care of the baby and she and Felicity got ready themselves.

Oliver had worn a grey suit with a white fitted shirt and no tie, while Tommy had opted for a navy suit and light blue shirt. When it was time to go, the ladies joined the men in the living room, and Oliver’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Felicity was always beautiful and hot, but in this dress, she looked delicious. Tommy had to elbow him to remind him that they weren’t alone.

“You look beautiful,” he kissed her, a little longer than usual.

“Thank you, you look rather handsome yourself,” she grinned at him.

“he doesn’t hold a candle on William, though,” Tommy said who was holding his godson.

“Aw! My little man is so handsome!” Felicity exclaimed and took him from Tommy.

“Remember, Will, no spit on mama!” Thea reminded her nephew kissing his little hand.

“Come on, people. We should get going. The others are meeting us there,” Oliver reminded them.

It didn’t take long to reach the MIT campus. Oliver parked the car next to Damon’s and they got out to meet with their waiting friends. Klaus and Damon were on William's duty during the ceremony, so that Oliver could enjoy his girlfriend’s graduation freely. Said girlfriend had to leave them and go get ready with the rest of the graduates and it was the perfect opportunity for Oliver to get her [a big bouquet](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/436427020142072774/).

Thea was filming the whole thing from the moment they got out of the car. Klaus had balloons and a banner hidden in his car, and Oliver helped him get them out, once Felicity was out of sight. They moved to the hall the ceremony was taking place and got front row seats.

Felicity graduated _summa cum laude_ and was given a special award for it, as well. She was positively beaming the whole time and her eyes always found them. The first time her eyes landed on them, her expression was comical. She had no idea about the banner or the balloons.

William fell asleep on Damon half-way through the ceremony, so he missed his mama’s speech and her being awarded, but that was okay. Auntie Thea had him covered. She had everything recorded; the before, the ceremony, and the after.

The moment the ceremony was done, Felicity ran over to them and landed in Oliver’s arms, who picked her up and twirled her around a couple of times, with the bouquet still on his hand.

“Congratulations, babe! I’m so proud of you!” he kissed her. Tommy got some beautiful photos of that sweet moment.

“Thank you! I can’t believe I made it!” she laughed.

“We’re so proud of you, mama!” Klaus said scooping her in a hug.

Twenty minutes later, they found themselves at a steak house because Tommy was buying everyone lunch. William had been transferred to his stroller, after having a bottle of milk. They had taken the ‘official’ graduation photos and some fun ones, and Thea took a few selfies with people as they ate, too. Those were her favorite.

“So,” Tommy started once they were back home, “our graduation gift to you is a night of babysitting, while you lovebirds are off to my hotel room,” he said and gave them the key.

“Are you serious?” Felicity asked.

“Completely. Go have some time to yourselves, though no need for details. We’ve got William covered.”

“Thanks, buddy. Really,” Oliver said to his best friend.

“You’re very welcome. Now, shoo. We have a nephew to spoil!” Thea ordered them.

“So bossy,” Felicity rolled her eyes. “Let me pack some things and we’re off.”

Half an hour later, Oliver and Felicity left. They had told them a gazillion times William’s routine and were everything was and if anything happened to _call them immediately_. But they were finally off.

And since Lexi had cleared her for all physical activities, they made a quick stop at a convenience store to buy condoms and ice-cream. They had missed each other in that sense, the last few months. and Felicity had plans that involved Oliver’s abs and ice-cream. 

Thea hated the fact that she had to leave them again. More so, since the earliest, she would see them would potentially be a weekend during the winter vocation. Felicity promised her daily updates and video calls whenever she wanted, though she knew it wasn’t the same.

Both Felicity and Oliver bombarded her with photos to try and compensate for the distance separating them, but it was only a little better.

Oliver was doing very well in school and he had even taken part in two official studies that were published. Felicity was very proud of him. Damon, Lexi, Caroline, Klaus, Oliver, and Felicity had become even better friends, as time passed. Damon and Klaus would often go for a drink at the bar and they always had a great time with Oliver. The two lawyers always gave him tips about his legal courses at school and for life in general, and his trusts. Of course, nothing was done before he told them how baby William was doing. Photos were always a bonus, but what Damon enjoyed the most were the various women that quite clearly hit on Oliver, but he either ignored them or he didn’t even notice. Because that man was head over ass in love with Felicity and wasn’t ashamed to admit it.

Things got interesting in November, during their bi-weekly movie night. It was Klaus and Caroline’s turn to host. Oliver, Felicity, and baby William arrived before Damon and Lexi, which was a little unusual, since having a baby even as well-mannered as William they were late almost always. And they were even a little late. But when they finally arrived, they were both positively beaming.

It didn’t take long for Felicity to figure out why. The ruby and diamond ring on her left ring finger was a dead giveaway. Understandably, the movie was completely forgotten that night. After a loud round of congratulations, they needed all the details, but before anything, they called Thea, by Damon’s request, and told her the news. Thea was very excited. Like very.

Tommy couldn’t join the call, as he had a business meeting, but they did send him a video.

Later that night, Felicity and Oliver were naked in bed, and William was sleeping peacefully in his room. Felicity was half asleep and Oliver found the perfect opportunity to bring up marriage.

“Felicity?”

“Hm?”

“Where do you see us five years?” he asked caressing her naked back.

“Just as we are, though in a bigger place. William will be the perfect little gentleman, though with a whole other mischievous side. He doesn’t have much of a choice with our family,” she murmured and that was true. Between all of them there was too much sass around the poor kid. “but the two of us, we’re going to be happy and still very much in love. And I will still eat ice-cream off your gorgeous abs. and maybe …”

“Yeah?” he urgent her gently, holding his breath because that future sounded so good and perfect to him.

“I would like us to get married and possibly have another baby in a few years.”

“I would like that so very much, sweetheart,” he kissed her forehead and held her a little tighter. All that was what he was hoping to hear and so much more. And he wanted to have that with Felicity. Because even though they were young, he couldn’t imagine his life without her in it and he wanted to spend the rest of his days with her.

He let her sleep and fell asleep himself to get a couple of hours of sleep before William woke up.

He spent the next couple of weeks talking with Thea and Tommy about it. Felicity didn’t remember that conversation, as was the case with all their conversations when she was half asleep. But Oliver smiled a little brighter after that night and she loved it.

Of course, just to be sure, he had Lexi and Caroline test the waters and ask Felicity about the possibility of the two of them getting married. According to Caroline the blush on her cheeks and the smile on her face told them a lot before she even got the chance to reply. But she said that she wanted to marry him she wanted to spend her life with him. She couldn’t imagine how her life would be without him and she didn’t want to. But she was afraid to bring it up because she knew that his ex-girlfriend pressured him about it, and it made him bolt. But she did want to marry him, whenever he was ready.

Little did she know that Oliver had been thinking about marrying her long before William was born. He was afraid that she wouldn’t want to marry him because they were young, and he was afraid she would think he proposed only because of William. And that was not the case. At all.

One day in December, Oliver texted Lexi and Caroline and asked them to take their boys and come by the bar. Oliver took his Grandma Queen’s ring out of its hiding place and put it in his pocket. He had a few minutes before it was time to leave for work, so he went to kiss William good-bye and then Felicity.

“I’ve got to go in a minute or so,” he said snaking his arms around her waist pulling her against him.

“Hm, I know,” she kissed him. “Will and I are going to catch a movie and drink milk. Well, he is going to drink milk, not me. I’m not a fan of milk except in hot chocolate,” she rambled.

“I know. Hot chocolate with lots and lots of whipped cream. I’ll take you this weekend if the weather allows,” he grinned.

“Have I ever told you that you are the best and that I love you very much?”

“You may have, once or twice,” he teased.

“Huh, you are the best and I love you very much,” she stated with a big smile.

“I happen to love you very much, as well, Miss Smoak,” he kissed her biting her lower lip, making her moan. If only he didn’t have to go to work …

“Don’t start something you can’t finish, mister. You have to go to the bar,” she sighed.

“I know, but I will make it up to you. I love you,” he kissed her.

“I love you, too.”

Their friends walked in the bar ten minutes before it officially opened, but Anne was cool with it.

“Hello, Mr. Let’s-Send-Mysterious-Texts-And-Let-Them-Wonder,” Caroline teased.

“She’s been going crazy all day, mate,” Klaus told him with a sigh.

“Not that we aren’t as curious, Caroline is just being vocal about it,” Damon said sitting on one of the stools.

“I think I have an idea about what is going on,” Lexi grinned like the cat that caught the canary.

“Oh, and what would that be, darling?” Damon raised an eyebrow.

“I just find it suspicious that one day Oliver has us fishing Felicity about marriage, _their_ potential marriage, and their future together and then he asks us to swing by the bar, and not tell Felicity about it,” she shrugged.

“Oh!” Klaus grinned.

“So, are you proposing?” Caroline asked.

“I have been thinking about for the longest time. long before William was born but I was afraid, you know? I didn’t want her to think that I was asking her because of William or something like that. I’ve talked to Thea about it, who almost asked Felicity herself,”

“That sounds like Thea,” Damon nodded.

“And I have also talked with Tommy, who is equally excited. This has been going on and off, especially since her graduation.”

“I can’t take the image of Thea proposing to Felicity on your behalf out of my mind,” Klaus laughed suddenly, making the others chuckle and Oliver blush. “Sorry, sorry.”

“It would have been disastrous,” he moaned. “I have a plan that involves William, but I need advice and for you to tell me if you think this whole thing is ridiculous because I can’t ruin what we have.”

“I think you are made for each other,” Caroline informed him.

“I thought you were married when you first came to the clinic,” Lexi admitted. “You were so sweet and tender with her, and you still are, but I thought you were newlyweds.”

“Age is just a number, at least in your case,” Klaus said. “You love each other, more so than married people I know. I think that if it feels right, you should go ahead and ask her.”

“I’m going to ask you something and I want you to say what comes in your mind first,” Damon said. “Where do you see yourself in ten years?”

“In our back yard. I’m hugging Felicity from behind, watching all of our kids playing on the grass with Thea. Felicity’s hands are on top of mine and there are wedding rings on her finger,” Oliver said without thinking or blinking.

“Do we need to go ring shopping?” Damon said with a look that said _what more do you need._

“Actually,” he said and pulled the ring box out of his pocket. He opened it and turned it towards them to show them [the ring](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124896728431/).

“It’s beautiful, Oliver,” Caroline marveled.

“Thanks. It was my grandmother’s. When she gave it to me, she told me that I would know when the time came, and ever since I met Felicity, I’ve had random fantasies of her wearing it,” he blushed.

“Sounds like a smart woman,” Damon said.

“She was. She is the one I have to thank for not giving full control of my inheritance to my parents, too. But that’s another story,” he shook his head.

“How are you proposing? You mentioned something about William?” Lexi asked.

“It was Thea’s idea. She suggested it after I told her that I wanted to include him somehow. She’s found an onesie that says something along the lines of ‘Mommy, will you marry Daddy?’. So, I was thinking that one day, while she is out, I put it on him and wait for her to return and see him in it and then let it go with the flow,” he rubbed his fingers together.

“That’s smart,” Caroline nodded, “And cute.”

“You’ll have to mail the onesie to one of us, though. We don’t want to ruin the surprise,” Klaus advised.

“So, you like the idea?” Oliver asked worriedly.

“We do,” Damon assured him. “Now, put the ring away before you lose it. People are coming in.”

He was right, the bar opened five minutes ago and there were a couple of costumers already inside.

“Congratulations, Oliver,” Caroline said warmly.

“Thank you,” Oliver beamed. The only thing left was for Felicity to say yes.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well! Look who is updating a second time in less than a week! Wow! I'm impressed with myself! Though, I have to get writing cause I'm running out of chapters and that's not good. At all. So, something exciting is happening in this chapter, I hope you enjoy it! As always, let me know what you think, and stay safe!

The moment Thea found out that Oliver had _finally_ decided to propose, and after she said _Finally, Ollie! You got on with the program!_ And rolled her eyes, she ordered the onesie for William and had it shipped to Klaus and Caroline’s place. She ordered two, one in a bigger size, because Oliver didn’t know exactly when he was going to do it.

Of course, it would be a few more months before Oliver managed to put his plan in motion.

Damon and Lexi hosted Thanksgiving that year. Felicity had gotten William [a Thanksgiving outfit](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/730075789577050997/) for the occasion and took a bunch of photos for the album and Thea and Tommy since neither could come this year. They FaceTimed them during dinner, of course, but they missed them.

Lexi and Caroline were on the sofa lounging when they arrived, and the men wore aprons and were cooking. After they greeted each other, Lexi ordered Oliver in the kitchen and they took Felicity and baby William to the sofa to enjoy themselves. Felicity was a little nervous letting the three men in the kitchen and in charge of the whole dinner, but at least Oliver knew how to cook. She wasn’t so sure about Damon and Klaus, though.

The girls were surprised at how good dinner was. Truly surprised. Who knew their partners were such great cooks? They called Thea and Tommy before eating. Thea wore [a gorgeous T-shirt](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/691935930233838764/) with a crazy dinosaur carrying a turkey.

“I wanted a T-shirt that said, ‘I have better places to be’ but I couldn’t find one I liked,” she had said.

Moira Queen almost caught them Facetiming, when she burst into Thea’s room without knocking, but the brunette was fast to shut the laptop closed. Thea didn’t want her parent to have anything to do with her life in Boston, nor seeing William. She didn’t deserve it, even if it was by accident and her not knowing who William is. It was the principle of the matter.

Oliver had to go to the bar after dinner, but Felicity and William stayed. Klaus promised to drive them home later, so he didn’t have to worry.

Later that night, Felicity called Thea to check on her and see how she spent her day since she hadn’t joined the call again after her mother interrupted them. Thea was still annoyed by it, especially so since she had to put up with the Bowens for dinner. At least, the Merlyns were invited as well, and Thea had a blast with Tommy.

The Queen parents said to their guests that Oliver was in Europe having dinner with some important people, while both Tommy and Thea knew that Oliver was at the bar, preparing for the holiday rush, and before that, he wore an apron that said ‘Kiss the Cook’ making dinner with their friends. Not to mention that he was most definitely not in Europe.

Klaus and Caroline were hosting Christmas and Oliver and Felicity were hosting New Year’s. Unfortunately, Thea and Tommy couldn’t attend either. At least, this year. And Thea was so pissed that she was missing William’s first Christmas.

So, to make up for it, she shopped like crazy. She got William a Christmas tree, festive onesies, ugly Christmas and Hanukah sweaters, and bedding with little elves and reindeers wearing Christmas hats. And also, she sent her baby nephew Christmas books for his parents to read to him, a Hanukah blanket, and a Christmas blanket. Tommy wasn’t all that better, either.

“If they keep it up, we’re going to run out of space,” Oliver sighed.

“We’ll be fine,” Felicity assured him. “Wait, our lease is up in a few months. we haven’t talked about what we’ll do.”

“I had forgotten about that,” Oliver shook his head.

“I think that we can afford to look for a little bigger place since I make better money at MGG than I did at the bar. And we spent less money on William that we thought we would since Tommy and Thea keep getting him everything, they deem cute enough. What do you think?”

“I think that you are right,” he pulled her in his arms. “We should start looking soon, though. We only have a couple of months left on the lease.”

“We’ll start looking later,” she grinned straddling him.

“Oh? You have something else in mind for now?”

“Uh-huh. William is napping and he won’t wake up for another forty minutes,” she said and kissed him deeply.

“I love the way you think,” he said panting and kissed her again.

After three weeks of looking, they found a three-bedroom apartment, though it only had one bathroom and the bedrooms were on the smaller size, the living room, dining room, and kitchen were bigger than they had and the price was good. Plus, the extra bedroom would be a huge help for storage.

And having a group of friends was awesome because this time around they didn’t need to hire a company. The boys (Oliver, Damon, Klaus, and JJ) took the furniture apart and used their cars to move them to the new place, while the ladies packed everything else. Of course, the day before the move, Felicity had left Oliver with William and she had gone and cleaned the apartment from top to bottom.

William’s swing was the last thing to pack and the first to unpack because they needed him to be happy while they re-assembled the furniture and unpacked the boxes. It took two days to unpack all the boxes and put everything in their proper places.

They decided to turn the spare bedroom into an office/guestroom, so they made a trip to IKEA to get a desk, another bookcase, a twin bed, and a nightstand, along with bedding and a couple of decorations. They wanted Thea to feel comfortable, as it would be primarily her bedroom.

Though it took a month or so to put the room together, they were happy with how it turned out.

Damon and Lexi had picked a date for their wedding, November 11th. It would be a small ceremony with only friends and family, Tommy and Thea included.

Thea told them that she was coming over for spring break even if she had to walk from Starling to Boston because there was no way in hell, she was going to miss the dress shopping. And all that prompted her to be on Oliver’s case about when was he going to propose. At this rate, they were going to need new onesies for the occasion.

And Thea was right. Oliver waited for the perfect moment, but their lives were a little crazy at the moment, so he was just wasting time. he had that revelation while chatting with Damon and Klaus at the bar one night.

“Finally,” his friends said together.

“Next time I’m alone with William, I’m putting him in the onesie,” he said determinedly.

That opportunity came around about a week later. Lexi, Caroline, and Felicity had gone out for brunch one Saturday morning, so Oliver dressed William in the onesie praying that he wouldn’t make a mess of it before Felicity saw it.

He hid the ring between the sofa pillows and waited. He passed his time playing with William as he was too nervous to study. Oliver was fascinated by his five-month-old baby rolling from his back to his tummy.

Felicity returned a few hours later with a smile on her face. She always had a good time with the girls, even though they had a significant age difference.

“Hey, babe, did you have a good time?” Oliver greeted her with a kiss.

“I did,” she smiled against his lips. “What about my boys?”

“Oh, we did plenty of manly things.”

“Really? Good for you. And where is my little man?”

“In his swing,” Oliver was getting nervous now.

“I’ll go wash my hands and take him for his feed,” she said and kissed him again.

She washed her hands well, as she always did, and then returned to the living room to see her baby boy. “Hello, little man. Were you a good boy for daddy?” she asked him, turning the swing off. She took off his blanket and picked him and almost dropped him when she saw what his [onesie](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/323766660690413645/) said.

“Oh my god,” she gasped softly and turned around, looking for Oliver who was just behind her and in the process of putting a hand around her waist. “Are you- Do you mean it?” she whispered.

Oliver smiled and kissed her before dropping on one knee. “I love you very much, Felicity, and I can’t imagine my life without you. I don’t want to. I’ve been in love with you since the moment I saw you at the bar. I’ve wanted to ask you for so long, but I didn’t want to push you or make you think that I’m asking because we have a baby together. I want to marry you because I love you and because you are my best friend and the light of my day. Your being the mother of my child is the icing on the cake. And I know that we are young, but I don’t think it matters. Will you marry me, Felicity?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course, I will, silly!” she laughed happily with tears in her eyes.

Oliver grinned and put the ring on her finger and kissed it, before standing up and kissing Felicity, until William started fussing.

“Sorry, buddy. You did a great job, though,” Oliver kissed his son’s head.

“Where did you find the onesie anyway?”

“Thea ordered it and had it shipped to Klaus and Caroline’s.”

“How long have you been planning it?” she asked curiously.

“On and off since before this one was born, but since your graduation,” he said hugging both her and William.

“I love you,” she said resting her head against his chest.

“I love you, too,” He kissed the top of her head. “And we love you, too, William.”

“How about I go feed him so that we can put him down for his nap and then we can celebrate,” Felicity grinned slyly.

“Perfect,” he kissed her neck. “I’ll go put away Will’s toys and books and I’ll come to find you in a bit.”

Hours later, they were in the dining room eating dinner and William was on his playmat next to them, when the call from Thea came, as per usual.

“Hey, Speedy,” Oliver smiled widely.

“Hello, family! How are you this fine morning? Oh, well it’s afternoon for you,” she shrugged.

“It’s early evening actually,” Felicity said.

“Whatever. How is my favorite nephew?” she asked eagerly.

“He is just fine,” Oliver assured her. “He’s next to me playing on his playmat.”

“Do you want to see his new onesie? It’s so cute,” Felicity said sending a wink at Oliver.

“Let me see that handsome little man,” she nodded.

Oliver nodded and picked up his son. “Will, look! It’s Auntie Thea!” he held him in front of the camera for Thea to see him. And made sure that she’d be able to read the text on the onesie.

“No way!” she exclaimed. “When?! Why didn’t you say anything?! Tell me _everything_!”

“I asked her a few hours ago and she said yes,” Oliver said simply, settling William on his lap.

“Oh my god, Ollie!” Thea sighed exasperatedly.

“I had brunch with Lexi and Caroline today, so when I came back, I washed my hands and I went to pick up William to feed him, and then I saw the onesie and I almost dropped him. I turned around to look at Oliver and he was standing behind me. I asked him if he meant it and he dropped on one knee and gave this beautiful speech and I said yes,” Felicity intervened.

“Finally! Congratulations! I can’t wait!” she smiled happily.

“Thank you, Thea.”

“Thanks, Speedy.”

“Does anyone else know?”

“Nope, you’re the first one to know,” Felicity told her.

“I wonder if I have time to tease Tommy until you tell him,” she wondered out loud.

“You have until we talk to him next,” her brother said.

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ll see him any time soon,” she mused. “Oh, well. Do you know when you’re having the wedding?”

“We haven’t talked about it yet. We got engaged two hours ago,” Felicity reminded her. “Plus, we have Damon and Lexi’s wedding first.”

“True and I am equally excited about both. I have so many ideas!”

“maybe we should give up and let her plan the whole thing, I doubt she will let us have much of a say.” Oliver joked.

“I’m not sure if I should be offended or not,” Thea rolled her eyes.

“Just remember that you are my favorite sister,” Oliver flashed her an award-winning smile.

“What’s that on your finger, Felicity Megan?” Damon exclaimed the next time he saw her.

They were at Klaus and Caroline’s house again, for their movie night. Felicity had just taken William out of his car seat and handed him off to Lexi when Damon noticed the ring.

“Did he finally ask?” Caroline ran from the kitchen. “Let me see!”

“Did everyone know?” Felicity asked teasingly, showing them her ring.

“It looks even better on your finger,” Lexi noted.

“Congratulations, guys. We’re truly happy for you and by the way I won, thank you very much,” Klaus grinned.

“Your slot was two weeks ago!” Damon exclaimed.

“And the next one is five weeks away. Mine is the closest, ergo I win,” he said triumphantly.

“Regardless!” Caroline exclaimed, “We are so happy for you!” she hugged them tightly.

“Thanks, Caroline,” Felicity beamed.

“Did you tell Thea?” Damon asked.

“Sure, she said ‘finally’ a few times and demanded to know everything,” Oliver replied. “And she didn’t like my version. She needed the details.”

“Did you think she would settle for anything less than the whole story?” Lexi raised an eyebrow.

“I can’t believe I’m the last one to find out!” Tommy exclaimed.

“Not our fault you’ve been such a busy bee the last few days,” Oliver grinned, leaning back on his chair.

Tommy groaned. “However, I am beyond happy about you guys,” he smiled warmly.

“So, does that mean you will be my best man?” Oliver asked his childhood friend.

“Duh!” he rolled his eyes playfully. “See if you can stop me, Oliver Jonas.”

“Oh, you got full named,” Felicity giggled.

“So, any ideas about when you are getting hitched?” Tommy asked.

“We were thinking about next summer, maybe in August,” Felicity told him.

“We were talking about September, but we want Thea to be able to b here for more than one weekend.”

“Oh, yeah, can you imagine what would happen if she had to be in Starling leading up to your wedding?” Tommy chuckled.

“She’d be a nightmare,” Oliver nodded.

“Are you kidding? she’d run away and move in with you,” his friend shook his head. “And then it would have been a hot mess here.”

“I can see that happen,” Felicity chuckled. “Which is why we’re going for a summer wedding. And William will be a little older to help, too.”

“I can’t wait! I feel like I already know the answer, but are you telling anyone else here in Starling?”

“Nope,” Oliver shook his head.

“Right-o. I knew you’d say that, but I wanted to make sure. Boy, when it becomes known, people are going to freak. Robert and Moira especially. I want to be there to see it, or ay least record it, yeah?”

“I will do my best,” Oliver rolled his eyes.

“Good, now where is my godson?”

“Napping.”

“What? What have I told you about calling when he is napping?”

“You are the one that called us,” Felicity cocked her head.

“Completely irrelevant!” Tommy said.

Thea had taken her role as an unofficial wedding planner, for both weddings, seriously. She had made a binder for each couple and had a list of suggestions for each, keeping in mind their budgets and that they wanted to help smaller businesses.

She had deadlines for each thing, too. For example, Lexi and Damon had until the end of April to find their venue. Oliver and Felicity had more time since their wedding was in more than a year. Though Lexi was thankful for her help, as she was very busy with the hospital and the clinic, and her only other option was to have her cousin Lilla help. And she wasn’t a fan of the idea.

At least, it was fairly easy to decide on a venue; they had decided on a vampire-Esque theme for their wedding, not like Twilight(!), but a little bit more darkish color scheme with blood-red as the main color and black and gold accents. 

By the time Thea arrived in Boston for spring break, they had chosen the venue, too. It was a [Gothic Mansion](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/452119250081410908/), outside of the city, and it specialized in weddings. It was beautiful and since it was operating as a hotel, too, they were going to spend their wedding night there.

“Aunt Thea is in the house!” Thea exclaimed when she stepped foot in their new apartment.

“Thea! We’ve missed you so much!” Felicity hugged her tightly. “William, look who is here!” she took the baby out of his swing.

The baby babbled happily at the sight of his aunt and leaned forward. Felicity kissed his head and passed him to her. “Hello, my brilliant nephew,” she kissed the baby. “You’ve grown so much!”

“Yes, he has,” Felicity smiled fondly. “It seems like yesterday when I was in labor and now, he is all big.”

“Yeah, I remember that day vividly. Next time you’re in labor don’t keep it to yourself, yeah?”

“No, kidding. Next time, we’re going to the hospital the moment I get contractions. There is no way I am going through that without drugs,” Felicity assured her.

“Good. Now, do I get to see my room?”

“Sure,” she nodded and led her to the home office/Thea’s room. “It’s not much, but we tried to make it homey.”

“Lis, it’s beautiful,” Thea assured her. And it was. Entering the room, on the right was a single bed that had a green and white floral duvet cover and a couple of accent pillows, a nightstand with an industrial styled table lamp, a clock, and a fake mini potted orchid. Across the door on the right side of the wall, there was a dresser and an upholstered chair next to it for Thea to put her clothes. On the left side of the wall there was a shelving unit and on the left of the room was a bookcase and the desk.

“Glad you like it, because we spent a whole day at IKEA to pick everything out,” Oliver said from behind them, having brought up Thea’s things.

“I do. I especially like the orchid.”

“It’s cute. I didn’t know they had it in a small size. Anyway, why don’t you get settled, and then you can come and feed William his mashed potatoes and carrots?” Felicity suggested.

“Oh! Can I?”

“Sure, kid. And then we’re having dinner with Lexi and Damon. Klaus and Caroline are visiting her mother this weekend.”

“Awesome! I’ll be quick, Will, and then you can eat,” she told the baby and gave him to his father.

“We’re going to go and have some fun while you ladies do whatever it is you want to do,” Oliver said and left them alone.

“I missed you so much! And I’m so excited to be here again!”

“We’ve missed you, too. And _all_ of us are happy to have you back,” Felicity sat on the bed. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, have you thought about college at all?”

“Yeah, I was thinking about it the other day, one of the professors said something. I was thinking about attending college here or maybe New York, but away from Starling and my parents.”

“We were talking about it with Oliver and if you do decide to come here for college, we would love to have you stay with us. We plan on staying in Boston and eventually getting a bigger place, too.”

“I would love that,” Thea beamed.

“Do you have any idea about what you want to study?” Felicity asked.

“None,” she stated. “I think I have a little bit of time to decide, but maybe something to do with children.”

“Whatever you want, we’re here for you. But just to warn you, Klaus and Damon plan to lure you in the dark side, in this instance they think they can help you see how amazing the legal world can be.”

“Huh, maybe I will be able to help children as a lawyer. Not a bad idea,” she pondered.

“Right, let’s not tell them that. They will be insufferable,” Felicity groaned.

“No kidding. Hey, when is Tommy gracing us with his present?”

“Sometime next week. He has some work to do before he flies over.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, wait! Leave a comment!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've been struggling not to post this too soon, since my last update! Do you know how hard it is to have chapters ready and making yourself not to post them all at once? Anyway, here is chapter 10! I hope you enjoy it! By the way, I'm interested to hear how you want the Queen parents to find out about Oliver's life and how you want the public to learn. I have a few ideas but, I'm also curious to see what you think! Drop a comment down below, would you? AS always, stay safe!

On Monday, they had an appointment at a bridal salon for Lexi’s dress. Her mom had flown in for the occasion as had two of her cousins, Lilla and Margaret. Lexi wasn’t all that thrilled. Caroline, Thea, Felicity, and baby William were meeting them at the salon. After introductions, Lexi quickly took aside Thea and told her that she was in charge of shutting her cousins down. They were Karens, she had said. Thea needn’t be told twice.

Lexi didn’t want a ballgown over-the-top dress. She favored mermaid dresses with a wow factor. So, that’s what she told the consultant and she showed her. The first couple of dresses were not _it_ , but Lexi didn’t lose faith.

“Maybe you should try an actual wedding dress, Lexi,” Lilla said, rolling her eyes. Margaret was nodding vigorously next to her.

“This is an actual wedding dress. I don’t want a dress that’s bigger than me,” Lexi replied, referring to Lilla’s wedding dress. It was a huge, tulle, lace, and satin monstrosity and she could barely move in it. It had been hilarious to watch her, but it was not something Lexi wanted.

“Her backside is _amazing,_ and it deserves to be showcased,” Thea piped, winking at Lexi.

“You know, Damon said the same thing a few days ago,” Felicity laughed bouncing William.

“It’s scary how well-tuned they are,” Caroline said nodding.

“Damon would adopt her if he could. He certainly has said so to Stefan,” the bride chuckled.

“We’re amazing people and you are jealous.”

“Uh-huh.”

They saw another four dresses before they decided to take a break and shop around the salon. In the end, it had been Thea who found her [_the_ dress](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/751890100287668283/).

William squealed when he saw his Aunt Lexi in that dress.

“Yes, buddy, I think so, too,” Lexi had said tearing up.

“You look beautiful, darling,” her mother teared up, too.

“Damon won’t know what hit him,” Thea said proudly.

“You look radiant, Lex,” Felicity wiped away a tear. She truly looked beautiful.

“I think this is it,” Caroline smiled knowingly.

“It is. This is my dress!” she exclaimed happily.

“Thea, you’re choosing my dress, too,” Caroline said absentmindedly.

“WHAT?!” Lexi, Thea, and Felicity exclaimed together.

“No, no, I didn’t mean right now. We’re not engaged, relax,” she rushed to say. “But when the time comes, you’re stepping in before I have to try on half the store.”

“I will be more than happy. And I expect to know asap when Klaus pops the question,” Thea said firmly.

“You’ll be my first call.”

William started fussing and making grabby hands at Lexi. “Will, baby, Aunt Lexi is wearing a beautiful dress that’s not baby-friendly,” Felicity adjusted him on her lap.

“But Aunt Caroline is wearing jeans!” Caroline took him from his mama.

“Don’t worry, little berry, I’m saving a dance for you at the reception,” Lexi assured him.

“You can’t dance with a baby,” Margaret had turned her nose up.

“Just watch me,” Lexi grinned. “So, how about I go change and order the dress, and then we can go have pizza?”

“You know the way to my heart,” Thea grinned.

“We’re going for cake testing the day after tomorrow, and we’re going to be taste-testing caterers the whole week, and you want to have pizza today?” Lilla was horrified.

“You can have a salad, but I want some nice pizza before my shift.”

“If I didn’t have to go through a gazillion years of school, I would be tempted to be an OB/GYN or a pediatrician,” Thea said out of the blue.

“What do we have to do to convince you?” Caroline almost demanded.

“They are betting, aren’t they?” Thea asked Felicity.

“Totally.”

“Why don’t you want to wear a tux for _your_ wedding, Oliver?” Thea nagged her brother.

They were currently at home. The two siblings were in the living room while Felicity was breastfeeding William and putting him to sleep.

“Because it is in the summer when it’s _hot_ , Speedy,” he rolled his eyes.

“What about a white tux? Or maybe we can have one custom made in your color scheme?”

“No tux, Thea. Those things are like ovens. Do you want me to sweat like a pig during my wedding?” he raised his eyebrows. He knew he had just won the argument.

“No, I don’t,” she sighed dramatically and wrote something on the binder for the Olicity wedding. She had named them using ship names for the couples in case their parents found them. Damon and Lexi were Dexi. “But you are wearing a suit, right?”

“Only if it is a summer suit. Otherwise, I’m going in my bathing shorts,” he smirked.

“Ha ha ha, so funny,” she stuck her tongue out.

“I know, I’m the funniest.”

“You wish. Anyway, when exactly are you having the wedding? I mean other than the obvious. Next summer is not very specific.”

“August 1st,” Oliver told her.

“Nice date, hard to forget,” she grinned.

“I’m not going to forget our wedding date, Speedy,” he rolled his eyes.

“I sure hope so. And it is also a good date, ‘cause I will be here for over a month and then I will stay for at least another three weeks. It’s going to be awesome,” she grinned. “Wait! What about your honeymoon?”

“I’m going to arrange that next summer when I will have my trust. I was thinking about Bali.”

“What about the little berry?”

“Caroline and Lexi have already volunteered to babysit him and you if you’re here when we leave for it. What do you think?”

“Bali is amazing, that’s what I think. I want to go to Bali for my honeymoon, too.”

“Uh, you’re fourteen, Thea. Please don’t say things like that. You’re too young to get married or make me an uncle,” Oliver flinched.

“Relax, bro. I don’t plan on getting married anytime soon. Or having kids. And when I have kids, I am getting that epidural. I can clearly remember Felicity giving birth and it sounded too painful.”

“She says that it was all worth it, and if she had to, she’d do it again,” Oliver commented.

“And I know it is true, but I much prefer not to feel that pain.”

“Whatever you want.”

“So, I wanted to ask you, since you will have full control of your trust, have you thought if Felicity is going to wear any jewelry from the vault?” Thea asked, fiddling with the folder.

“Uh, I haven’t thought of that, actually,” he frowned. “I would like for her to wear something from the vault if she wants to, though I don’t have a copy of the catalog.”

“You mean the catalog that grandma made with photos and information on every piece that mother has on her safe, and I may or may not have borrowed and made a couple of copies and brought you one?” she asked innocently, pulling a spiral-bound booklet.

“No!” he gasped dramatically.

“Yup!” she grinned and gave it to him. “I told you I am amazing.”

“You are!” he grabbed her head and kissed her forehead. “I can’t believe you got in her safe!”

“Please, it’s like stealing candy. Her code is her birthday,” she rolled her eyes. “I have some homework to do later, so since you’re not working today, you talk to Felicity about it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Talk to Felicity about what?” Felicity appeared from the hallway.

“Jewelry. Thea pointed out that when we get married, I’m going to have control of the entirety of my trust funds, which includes jewelry. And she managed to make me a copy of grandma’s jewelry catalog for us to look through, and if you want to wear something, you absolutely can.”

“I even wrote down which is mine and which is Oliver’s because we don’t have access to my portion without the parents,” Thea explained.

“She had a catalog?” she asked frowning.

“Yeah, grandma had quite the collection, and a few years before she died, she made this. It has photos and information on each piece. It’s very interesting and informative. She wrote down the story behind each piece, too.”

“Can I see?”

“Of course,” Oliver gave her the booklet.

“It’s why I got my hands on it,” Thea grinned.

“What do you mean?” she asked, sitting between them.

“Mother has the original locked in her safe. She doesn’t want us near it,” she explained.

“So, Thea managed to figure out the safe’s code took it out, and made copies,” Oliver added.

“You broke in your mother’s safe?” Felicity exclaimed.

“Not my fault! The safe’s code is her birthday! And if I get in with the code, does it count as breaking in?” she raised an eyebrow playfully.

“Can’t argue with that,” Oliver shrugged. “How did you manage that? I mean she is always around her safe.”

“They were at a gala thing or something, so I had the manor to myself. Mostly, all the night staff was in the property, but you know what I mean. So, I opened the safe and I pretty much made copies of whatever papers I found, though I have yet to look through any of it,” she shrugged. “I made two copies of the catalog, one for you guys and one for me.”

“Those things are beautiful, and they look _so_ expensive,” Felicity said looking through the booklet.

“They are, that’s why they are in a bank vault,” Thea said. “And so that mother can say the word ‘vault’ a lot. it’s fancy apparently.”

“Are you sure you want me to wear something from the vault?” Felicity asked unsurely.

“Babe, they are going to be _your_ jewelry, too. You can wear whatever you want, whenever you want,” Oliver said taking her hand and looking her in the eyes.

“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind. But I think I shouldn’t pick something now. I think I should find a dress first and decide after.”

“Wise choice, if it has a high neck you won’t be able to wear a necklace and if the neckline isn’t low enough you will not be able to wear a drop necklace,” Thea nodded thinking. “When are we going dress shopping?”

“In the summer since we don’t know if you will be able to come for winter break. I want to have you with me when I find the dress.”

“I’d walk if I had to. There is no way I’m missing it!” Thea grinned and hugged Felicity tightly.

“Good, because I’m not going to dress shopping without my little sister,” Felicity smiled.

Thea hugged her tighter and smiled. “As if I’d let my sister go wedding dress shopping without me!”

“So, does that mean you’ll be my maid of honor?” Felicity asked a little teary-eyed.

“Of course, I will!” Thea exclaimed.

And Oliver, well, he was happy that his girls were happy.

“No offense, Lexi, but I do not like your cousins,” Thea said.

It was day one of taste testing. Oliver, Felicity, Thea, and Oliver were at Lexi’s place waiting for Klaus, Caroline, and Lexi’s family to come over. The catering people were already there preparing the food.

“Me neither, but mom’s making me include them since I was included in their weddings and they are her sister’s daughters,” she sighed. “It was a nightmare. The bridesmaids’ dresses were _ugly_ , the cakes had so much fruit that you didn’t eat cake, and the overall affairs were over the top and _frilly_.”

“I’ve seen the photos,” Damon piped. “Those dresses were awful.”

“I’m just happy I didn’t have to pay for those atrocities,” Lexi said. “My aunt footed the bill because she was desperate to have me on both wedding parties to show off at the grooms’ families. They didn’t have a doctor in their families.”

“And not just any doctor, Dr. Free Samples,” Damon teased and kissed her cheek.

“The best OB/GYN in the universe, isn’t that William? Isn’t Aunt Lexi the best?” Felicity grinned. William smiled and babbled happily waving his hands around.

“Thanks, Will. You were a very easy baby to deliver, too, even if you didn’t give your mama enough time for an epidural,” Lexi grabbed his little fist.

“Yeah, buddy, that was not nice,” Damon nodded.

The bell rang then, and Damon got up to open. Klaus and Caroline had timed their arrival with that of Lexi’s mom and cousins.

“Hello, crew!” Caroline smiled brightly.

“Are we interrupting anything?” Klaus sat on the sofa between Felicity and Lexi.

“We were talking about how William was an easy baby to deliver for Lexi, even though it wasn’t very nice that he didn’t give Felicity time for her epidural,” Thea replied.

“Yeah, Will, it wasn’t very nice, but I think your mama has forgiven you,” Klaus nodded.

“Oh, you delivered him, Alexia?” her mother asked.

“Yes, mom, I did.”

“Lexi is the chilliest doctor,” Damon said.

“It’s actually how we all met each other. Lexi came to my baby shower and brought Damon and then we met Klaus and Caroline,” Felicity said.

“All thanks to this little monkey,” Klaus grinned and took him from Felicity. “And won Uncle Klaus the baby name pool, didn’t you buddy?”

“And Uncle Damon, too! Let’s not forget that. Even though, Lexi and Caroline made us wait half an hour to find out the name.”

“Why?” Lilla asked.

“We hadn’t told anyone the name we chose, so they had bets going on. When my water broke in the middle of the night, we called everyone to come to the hospital, and when I was giving birth, Lexi and Caroline were both in the room, Lexi is my doctor and Caroline is William’s, so when he was born we gave them the name for the birth certificate. And then, after we were done with the birth and everything they went to wait outside with the others and didn’t tell them the name until Oliver let them in to see us. And we told them.”

“Oh, you were all at his birth?” Margaret commented. “That’s nice.”

“We have pictures with him not even an hour after he was born. He was a tiny little human being and now he is all big,” Caroline said, kissing his cheek.

“How old is he?” Lexi’s mom asked.

“Nine months,” Felicity smiled fondly at her son.

“Are you planning on having more children? Lilla asked.

“Not right now, but in the future, we do,” Oliver replied, putting his right arm around his fiancée.

“Yup, and in a few years, we’ll have a house with a big backyard and all of our children will play around with our dogs, because I want puppies, and the boys will be cooking on the grill, while we will be lounging,” Felicity said smiling.

“Please tell me Tommy is having daughters,” Damon grinned.

“And that Thea will be studying law,” Klaus added.

“You wish!” his girlfriend exclaimed. “We’re converting her in the medical science.”

“I have four years to decide, you have time to convince me,” Thea grinned enjoying the show.

“We’ll make a badass lawyer out of you, kid,” Damon said confidently.

“We’ll make you the best doctor in Boston, honey, don’t listen to him,” Lexi said.

“You’re all crazy, have I told you that?” Felicity sighed dramatically.

“Alexia, have you decided on your bridal parties?” her mother asked.

Lexi sighed. Her mother was annoying her, calling her Alexia all day long. “Yes, mother, we have. Caroline is my MOH, Felicity and Thea are my bridesmaids, and Klaus is the best man, Oliver is a groomsman and so is Eric, my brother not my cousin. Stefan walking down the aisle with baby William who is going to be our ring bearer and then he is on William duty with Tommy until the end of the ceremony and the photos.”

“That’s a small bridal party,” Margaret said. “I had seven bridesmaids.”

“I remember,” Lexi smiled tightly.

“Ours will be even smaller,” Felicity said, grabbing a strawberry.

“Oh?”

“Only a MOH and a best man. If we added to it, half the guests would be on the bridal party.”

“We’re having a small wedding,” Oliver explained.

“But why?” Lilla asked.

“Because we want something intimate with the people closest to us. I’m not a fan of those weddings with five-hundred guests and super expensive centerpieces.”

“My wedding had seven hundred and nineteen guests,” Margaret looked offended.

“Mine had eight hundred and twenty-six,” Lilla said.

“Ours is about two hundred people,” Damon said, not wanting to be left out, though his eyes shone with mischief.

“And that’s a small wedding,” Margaret rolled her eyes.

“Small? We’re already spending a stupid amount of money for two hundred guests having a simpler wedding than either of you had and I hate to even think about how much the cost of your wedding,” Lexi rolled her eyes.

“We still have time to elope, babe,” Damon grinned.

“Hey!” Thea exclaimed.

“We’d take you with us, of course, Thea,” he sent her a grin.

“Since I don’t like half my family, I would vote for the elopement, if I wasn’t afraid that Thea would hunt me down,” Klaus said.

“You’d make a nice corpse,” Caroline laughed. “We’d donate you to Harvard Medical School.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to wait a day or so more, before posting again, but I can't help myself! When I have a chapter ready I want to give it to you guys, even though I try to have a semi-consistent posting schedule. Oh, who am I kidding? That went out the window a long time ago! Argh! Funny thing, I have to re-read this chapter because I don't remember what exactly happens; I'm too focused on chapter 14 which I'm currently writing! Anyway, I want to hear from you not only regarding this story but about what else you would like to see from me. This story is slowly (very slowly) coming to an end, but don't worry it has several more chapters left. As always, don't forget to drop me a comment and stay safe!

All too soon, it was time for Thea to go back to Starling. No one liked that, not one bit. But at least summer was close, and Thea would spend it with them. By the time Thea left, Damon and Lexi had chosen invitations, wedding favors, caterers, the bridesmaids' dresses (blood red, one-shoulder, chiffon, and lace), the wedding dress, the groom’s and groomsmen’s outfits, the rings, and the venue. They had to book a DJ and a photographer until Thea’s next visit.

“Here’s the thing,” Tommy said one night during their Skype call. “I met someone.”

“OH!” Felicity exclaimed.

“You did?”

“Tell me everything!” Felicity demanded.

“Her name is Diane, and she is a journalist,” Tommy said.

“A journalist?” Oliver frowned.

“I know how it sounds, but she is a freelancer and she just moved to Starling,” Tommy explained. “It took her a whole of three days to understand why people know me and I’m 99% sure she has no idea who you are, Ollie.”

“Where did you meet?” Felicity asked.

“At a coffee shop. I bumped into her and I spilled both of our coffees and I offered to replace hers. She accepted and we got talking while we were waiting. She asked me if I knew any good burger places and I kind of asked her out.”

“Where did you take her?” Oliver asked interested.

“Well, I told her I couldn’t decide between two, so I’d take her to both: Big Belly Burger and Bill’s Burger,” Tommy said.

“And?” Felicity prompted him.

“And I took her to both, and I didn’t let her pay, and then she said that she owes me lunch. So, we went to lunch and the day after we went out for drinks. And then I asked her to dinner. And she said yes.”

“Oh my god! And why did I just learn about it, Thomas?” the blonde genius exclaimed.

“Because I didn’t want to say anything before I knew it wasn’t a fling.”

“And it’s not? You haven’t ….” Oliver asked.

“The most scandalous thing was a kiss on the cheek that I gave her,” the Merlyn heir said a little nervously.

“Where are you taking her?”

“I wanted your input; I’m thinking about Russo’s,” Tommy said to his best friend.

“Low key, not too fancy, amazing food,” Oliver nodded. “It’s a good choice. I would have taken Felicity there for a first date if we were living in Starling.”

“So, do I get to go next year when we visit for your trust’s paperwork?”

“Yes, you are. They make the most amazing tiramisu.” He kissed her cheek.

“Oh, you sure know how to impress a girl,” she giggled.

“I’m still here!” Tommy teased.

“Har har,” Felicity rolled her eyes. “Tell us about her.”

“Well, she is brunette and not my usual leggy model type, though she is beautiful and has nice curves,” he said and cleared his throat. “She speaks Greek and Italian and she even spent a semester in Athens. She loves animals and her favorite color is blue. And she has a love affair with chocolate. And she wants to get a puppy.”

“She sounds interesting,” Oliver said.

“And like you have a crush on her,” Felicity grinned.

“Uh, maybe,” Tommy Merlyn blushed.

“Oh, she makes you blush! This is amazing!” she exclaimed.

“You should have seen Oliver before he asked you out. He was hopeless.”

“And look at me now; I have an amazing fiancée and an incredible baby boy,” Oliver said with a proud smile.

“Point taken.”

“So, how did she find out about Tommy Merlyn’s adventures?” Felicity asked.

“Remember how I took her out for drinks?”

“Aha”

“Well, I took her to La Maison, and you know they have a waitlist and lines for two blocks?”

“but they let you in. and me back in the day.” Oliver nodded.

“So, after we left and after I had asked her to dinner, she asked me how I managed to get us in the club without waiting and without being on the list. She knew about La Maison and everything. So, I explained that my best friend and I had wild teen years and because our parents are famous the paps loved following us everywhere. And then she asked why our parents are famous and I explained it to her.”

“And what did she say?” Oliver asked curiously.

“She had a Felicity attitude towards the matter.”

“Is that a compliment?” she frowned.

“Yes,” Tommy assured her. “Essentially, she said that our parents shouldn’t have let us run wild and that the media shouldn’t have pushed us so much to be the wild playboys just to sell more papers. She thinks that our parents should have done a better job at parenting.”

“Well, she is right.” Felicity agreed. “Of course, your mom is excluded, Tommy.”

“I know, Fee. Don’t worry.” Tommy reassured her. “I like to think that if my mom were alive, she would have kept both me and Oliver in line. And she would have loved William, too. And speaking of the little monkey, I haven’t told her anything about you and I don’t plan to for a while. I just told her that Moira and Robert are lying liars who lie, and I left it at that.”

“Thank you, Tommy,” Oliver said sincerely.

“Don’t thank me, Ollie. You’re my brother and Thea and I have adopted Felicity, as stated by the ring on her finger,” Tommy said referring to the ring he and Thea had given Felicity when William was born, which Felicity wore every day on her right middle finger.

Felicity smiled widely and wiggled the fingers on her right hand. Oliver grabbed her hand and kissed it lovingly.

“Innocent eyes in the room,” Tommy sing sang.

“Uh, no, Will is in his room napping,” Felicity said cheekily. “But jokes aside, Tommy, we’re happy for you and I hope it works out because let me tell you, buddy, you have it bad for Diane.”

“And if it does go well, as I’m sure it will,” Oliver continued, “We’d love to meet her.”

“Really?”

“Well, I can’t not meet my brother’s girlfriend, not to mention that you fly out here all the time, and she is bound to know. But let’s get to know her better first.” Oliver nodded. “But William’s existence won’t come up until we meet her, even through Skype.”

“It means a lot, Ollie. Really.” Tommy said sincerely. “Now, enough about me. Tell me about my nephew.”

“I think he’s very close to saying his first word,” Felicity stated.

“Already?” the godfather asked amazed.

“Yeah, most babies say their first word between 9 and 14 months. William is almost 10, and my kid took after me in the talking department.”

“He babbles a lot, but it’s adorable. I can’t wait for him to be able to speak somewhat properly.” Oliver said proudly.

“I expect to hear about it the moment it happens,” Tommy said sternly.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry. You’re on the top of the list. You, Thea, Lexi, Damon, Klaus, Caroline, JJ, Rania, Mary, and Anne.” Felicity said.

“It’s not our fault your kid is the cutest baby.” He rolled his eyes fondly.

“I think Tommy has it bad for Diane,” Felicity said to Oliver later that night, when they were in bed snuggling.

“Oh, yes. I have never seen him acting like that for anyone, in all the years I’ve known him. I can’t remember the last time he blushed and tonight he blushed _twice_.” He agreed.

“He says the same about you,” she giggled.

“It’s true,” Oliver sighed contently and kissed her softly. “Ever since I discovered girls and how much I liked their attention, I was a ‘player’. And when I was with Laurel, well I wasn’t the best boyfriend, and when we were on breaks, I wasn’t exactly alone. But then, the mess with my parents happened and I came here with a plan; find a job and get a degree as fast as possible. I didn’t plan on dating. Until I walked into the bar and I met you. You were fascinating. And as I got to know you better, the more I wanted to ask you out. The only problem was that you were in a relationship.”

“And then I came into the bar crying one day.”

“I was so torn that day, between being happy that you broke up with him and being pissed that he hurt you and that you were crying. But it was damn wonderful holding you.” Oliver said.

“Wanna know a secret?” Felicity asked with a bright smile.

“I’m all ears.”

“That day when I came to you crying and you hugged me, I forgot all about Cooper and I was concentrating on the fact that this gorgeous guy was hugging me. And your rock-hard abs didn’t escape my notice.” She grinned.

“Oh?” Oliver grinned back at her.

“Uh-huh,” she breathed kissing his jawline. “I love your abs.”

“And eating ice-cream off them, too, evidently.” Oliver teased.

“Oh, yeah. It’s amazing.” She kissed him deeply.

“Tommy has a date tonight!” Thea announced the moment Felicity answered the video call.

“Oh, we’ve heard all about it. he has it bad for Diane.” Felicity replied.

“He’s head over heels in love with her.” The brunette stated.

“I think it’s a little early to determine that,” Oliver said joining his fiancée on the sofa.

“Mark my words, Ollie, he’s going to marry that girl,” Thea said firmly.

“Please don’t start planning their wedding yet,” Felicity said.

“Not yet, but after he introduces me, I make no promises.” She said cheekily.

“Good god,” Oliver groaned good naturally.

“Love you, too, bro. Speaking of love, where is my favorite nephew?” she asked eagerly.

“He should be waking up soon,” Oliver said. “And he is your only nephew.”

“Ergo my favorite.”

“I dare you to argue.” Felicity chuckled.

“I won’t even try.”

“Good choice, bro. Now, who wants to hear about how the Mayor caught his wife in his office with his deputy?”

“No way!” Oliver exclaimed taken aback.

“Yes way. Pants down and everything.” Thea said nodding her head.

“Poor guy,” Felicity commented.

“He’s slept with half the City Hall,” Oliver informed her.

“Oh, not so poor then.”

“I thought she was sleeping with his campaign manager,” Oliver said.

“That’s old news, Ollie.” His sister rolled her eyes.

“How did you find out?”

“I overheard mother telling father.” She shrugged. “It’s amazing the things you can learn in this place.”

“How’s school?” Oliver asked changing the subject.

“Soul-consuming and filled with divas.”

“Oh, classic Starling Prep, then.”

“Oh, yeah. Just four more years. And then I get to come to Boston.”

“Have you given any thought on what you would like to study?” Felicity asked.

“Well, not really. But since I like knowing things and being in control of situations, maybe something that incorporated those two elements.”

“Call me crazy, but I think that you would make an amazing politician.” the older woman said, just as William made his presence known through the baby monitor.

“Maybe. It’s not a bad idea. We’ll see.” She nodded while her brother went to pick up William. “I’m so happy Oliver didn’t take after our parents in the parenting department.”

“He’s an amazing dad and he loves William to pieces,” Felicity said with a smile on her face.

“It’s hard not to love your kid. He’s so happy and so adorable.” Thea said. “I can’t wait to get into college and spent all my time spoiling your kids. And Tommy’s, and well, all the gang’s kids.”

“You’re going to be everyone’s favorite aunt.” Felicity chuckled.

“That’s my goal in life.” Thea sighed dramatically. “OH! There’s my favorite boy!” she exclaimed when Oliver rejoined them with William in his arms, who was babbling happily.

Thea completely ignored them for the next five minutes, which she spent talking to her nephew.

“Sometimes, I feel like the next-door neighbor,” Oliver said to his fiancée who just laughed.

Tommy’s date had been a huge success and they heard all about it the next day. Repeatedly. Tommy was on cloud seven and had a huge smile on his face. He couldn’t stop talking about Diane and how amazing he thought she was. And that she agreed to go out on a second date. Thea was right, Tommy was whipped.

In the next few weeks, Oliver was super busy revising for the end of the term exams with a lot of help from Felicity. Tommy had gone to even more dates with Diane and they were officially boyfriend/girlfriend. Tommy had a shit-eating grin on his face permanently. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No to brag or anything, but I'm four chapters ahead! Though I'm a little sad about it because the end is nearing. Oh, well, what can you do? Every story has an end. But worry not, thanks to the wonderful melerick921, I'm already working on another story. Yes, I have my fingers in too many pies. Anyway, I won't bore you with my talk, because if you let me I'll talk forever. As always, don't forget to let me know what you think and stay safe! 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

Summer was upon them in no time. Thea flew to Boston the day after the school let out. They had so many things to do for the weddings and Thea was very excited. Tommy was going to join them for a week in late August and return with Thea to Starling. Diane was joining him.

Oliver and Felicity had decided to get married in the Botanical Gardens and had made the reservation already. Of course, before they started on anything else, they had to finalize the celebration for William’s 1st birthday. Tommy was flying in for the day, alone, just to celebrate his godson.

Oliver had spent two days in the kitchen preparing all the snacks, while Felicity and Thea were on decoration duty. They had decided on a [Cookie Monster theme](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/98234835611281054/?nic_v2=1a7p9GnnI) and had ordered a cake to match, too. Thea had ordered a handmade [Cookie Monster toy](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124897460539/?nic_v2=1a7p9GnnI) the moment Felicity told her what they had in mind. It was adorable.

William had uttered his first word, dada. Oliver had dropped the glass he was holding and after kissing his boy he started trying to make him say it again so that he could record it. Felicity recorded the whole thing, laughing. When he gave up, he started calling people. Thea was the first on the list.

On the day of Will’s birthday, Felicity had gotten up bright and early and went to her son’s room. The baby was awake babbling to himself in the crib.

“Good morning, my little angel,” she cooed. “Happy Birthday, baby,” she picked him up and kissed his cheek. “My little man is one!” she smiled brightly. “Come on, let’s go wake Dada and then Aunt Thea.”

Felicity returned to their bed with William and let the baby climb on Oliver and poke his face. It was adorable. Oliver woke up after William had poked his eyes one too many times.

“Hey, Birthday Boy!” he smiled and kissed his son’s cheek. He adjusted William in his arms and turned to his fiancée. “Good morning, babe.”

“Good morning,” she kissed his neck. “Can you believe he’s turning one?”

“No,” he shook his head. “I’m convinced there’s some mistake. There is no way it’s been a year already. It feels like yesterday when you woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me that your water broke.”

“Time passes so fast,” Felicity sighed. “Come on, let’s feed the little monster and then we can go and wake Thea. What do you say, Will?”

“Da-da” the baby babbled.

“Huh, is that the thanks I get for carrying you around for forty weeks and giving birth without an epidural?” she teased tickling his foot.

Oliver chuckled. “How about I go change him while you warm a bottle for him, and I’ll feed him?” he offered.

“Yeah, yeah, go ahead.” She stuck her tongue out.

Thirty minutes later, William was fed and changed, so they thought it was a good time to wake Thea.

They crept quietly into her room and placed William on top of her. She didn’t even flinch until William put his finger in her eye. She opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times, before hugging William to her, turning to her side, and going back to sleep, something that had the parents laughing quietly. William was preoccupied with his Aunt’s hair to care.

“Go away and come back in half an hour,” Thea mumbled. “I want birthday cuddles with my nephew,” she said rubbing her eyes.

“We’ll leave you to it, then,” Oliver said a little too easily and pulled Felicity to their room, closing all the door in between.

Felicity giggled when Oliver pulled her to him, holding her firmly. “I love you so much,” he said before crushing his lips to hers.

“I love you, too,” she looked adoringly up to him.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely.

“For what?” she frowned.

“For coming into my life, for loving me, for making me a dad. For everything.”

“Well, you are welcome. Do you think you can show me how grateful you are in twenty-five minutes?” she looked mischievously at him.

“Oh, I plan to.” He said and carried her to their bed.

An hour later, Oliver was making breakfast, while Thea and Felicity made the beds and picked up the house. William was crawling around his mama and auntie, keeping them company.

They had a light breakfast and then Felicity left to pick up the cake from the bakery. Thea set up the gift table and the buffet. When Felicity came back, they took a walk at the nearby park and then returned home to get ready for the party. The guests were coming at noon.

Felicity had gotten William the [cutest outfit](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/451134087680109067/?nic_v2=1a7p9GnnI), too.

Tommy arrived thirty minutes earlier carrying a mountain of presents. “Where’s the birthday boy?!” he exclaimed dumping the presents on Oliver and stealing William from Thea.

“Hey!” she protested.

“Happy Birthday, Will!” Tommy ignored her.

Klaus and Caroline arrived next and Damon and Lexi two minutes after them, all well before noon. JJ and Mary arrived next, a few minutes afternoon, and then a little bit later Anne with Mary.

William had the time of his life, with all his aunts and uncles together playing with him all day long. Thea made sure to take lots of pictures and videos.

William put his fingers in his cake half-way through the birthday song and then he started eating it. but that was okay. It was his cake and his day. the little man had a blast opening gifts, but more so because he loved playing with the paper than anything else.

The next day, they started the dress hunt. They searched high and low. They visited five boutiques all around the city, but Felicity couldn’t find her dress. She wanted something to match their venue, something that wasn’t over the top or too expensive. Something that would suit her. And evidently, that was too much to ask.

They were currently in a family-owned boutique, their last for the week. Felicity had tried on five dresses already and none of them were it.

“That’s it!” Thea exclaimed. “We’re taking a break and while Felicity has some iced tea, we are going to look around for a bit.” She told Caroline and Lexie.

“Let’s do it,” Caroline said picking up William.

They looked at the dresses for half an hour, each of them coming back with a couple of options. Felicity tried on William and Caroline’s picks first, then Lexi’s and finally Thea’s. But she should have gone with Thea’s first, seeing as the brunette had found [her dress](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/709105903801298869/). It was elegant and simple. And exactly what Felicity wanted.

“Oh, wow,” Thea breathed when she saw her.

“Felicity, it’s wonderful,” Lexi said.

“What do you think, Will? Isn’t mamma gorgeous?” Caroline beamed.

“This is it. It’s perfect!” Felicity said emotionally. “It’s light and beautiful and amazing.”

“Let’s get it, then!”

The rest of the summer was filled with taste testing and shopping for both weddings. They had dinner all together from time to time. Felicity and Thea had a spa day for the blonde’s birthday, as well. Tommy couldn’t join them that year, again, but he video-called for the [cake](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898404926/?nic_v2=1a7p9GnnI) cutting.

The week before Thea was to leave for Starling, Tommy joined them, accompanied by Diane. Damon and Lexi were babysitting William, Klaus and Caroline had lost the coin toss so that they could meet Diane and decide if they were going to let her know about William.

Oliver had taken the day off from the bar and spent the afternoon preparing dinner, as it was how they were meeting Diane; they were having dinner at their house. Thea helped Felicity take all of William’s toys and books in the nursery and make the table.

“I’m so excited to meet her!” Thea said while they were waiting for the couple’s arrival. “I can’t believe we live in the same city and he hasn’t introduced me yet!”

“He’s probably afraid you’re going to scare her away,” Oliver teased from the kitchen.

“Har har,” Thea rolled her eyes. “You’re a real comedian, Ollie.”

“I know!” he laughed.

“It’s probably because they haven’t been together long, not even six months. He probably wanted to see how it would go, before introducing her,” Felicity reasoned.

“Tommy is stupid in love with her,” Thea argued. “It’s going to last, like live together and ring kind of situation.”

“Let’s not mention that just yet, Thea. We don’t want to scare them. Either of them,” her brother said.

“I won’t, Ollie. I know better than that.” She rolled her eyes at the same time as the bell rang.

Thea jumped and opened the door before Oliver could reach it.

The door opened, revealing Tommy with a young brunette. She was of average height and Mediterranean body shape. Her chocolate eyes were behind a pair of glasses and she had a shy but honest smile on her face.

“Were you waiting behind the door?” Tommy raised an eyebrow.

“Nope, I was just the first to reach it. Come on in”

“Hello, fam!” Tommy grinned. “This is Diane, my girlfriend. Diane, this is Oliver, my best friend, then we have Felicity, his fiancée, and last but certainly not least, Thea, Oliver’s sister.

“It’s so nice to meet you all! I have heard so much,” Diane smiled brilliantly at them.

“Don’t believe a word,” Oliver said shaking her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“Tommy won’t shut up about you. It’s great to put a face on the name,” Felicity followed.

“And I can’t believe the idiot waited so long to introduce us!” Thea piped.

“You realize Boston and Starling are not exactly close, right? I mean you should, you fly over here at least twice a year,” Tommy said.

“I meant me, Thomas,” Thea rolled her eyes. “I live in Starling, remember?” she raised her eyebrow. “You have your hands full with this one, but welcome to the gang!”

“Thank you! Tommy speaks highly of you, all of you!” Diane grinned.

“For you, too,” Felicity smiled.

“Yeah, once he starts talking about you, there is no stopping him,” Oliver teased his friend.

“But I’m the coolest one,” Thea said as matter of fact.

“Yeah, yeah,” Oliver teased. “Have a seat, dinner should be ready in ten minutes.”

“What did you make? That pork with pineapple you did last time? Because it was amazing and I want more,” Tommy asked.

“Nope. Lamb with citrus sauce. Diane, you eat lamb, right? The idiot didn’t mention any food preferences,” Oliver asked.

“I do, I like it a lot, actually.”

“Great.”

“Tommy said that you spent a semester in Greece,” Felicity guided the conversation.

“Oh, yes, I did. It was wonderful,” she nodded excitedly. “It’s an amazing country with great people. I had the opportunity to travel around the country a bit and now I can’t wait to visit again. And don’t get me started on the food.”

“Maybe we can all go in three and a half years?” Thea piped. “I want to go, too.”

“Why three and a half?” Tommy asked.

“I will be 18 in three and a half years, Thomas,” Thea rolled her eyes.

“What places did you visit?” Oliver asked interested.

“I went to Ioannina, my roommate’s mom was from there, I went to Santorini and Crete. I visited Mani, which was beautiful, and Kefalonia. I didn’t have nearly as much time as I would have liked, so I’m hoping I will the opportunity to visit again at some point.”

They had an amazing night, eating and talking, getting to know Diane better. She was so good for Tommy, who never stopped smiling, and they actually liked her. They arranged to have brunch together the next morning, as well.

“I approve,” Thea had said the moment the door closed behind them.

“I agree,” Felicity said, and Oliver nodded in agreement.

“I can’t remember ever seeing Tommy smiling like that,” Oliver added.

“I’m curious to see how she will react to William.”

“We just have to wait a few hours and we’ll see.”

Throughout the night, Tommy would look adoringly at Diane and the smile never left his face. Diane wasn’t any better. And they always touched one way or another. Thea said it was sickeningly sweet.

Damon dropped William off before going to work the next morning. Thea helped Oliver make pancakes and muffins, while Felicity chopped the fruit. Everything was ready by the time Tommy and Diane arrived.

“Good morning,” Diane said warmly entering the apartment.

“Morning,” Tommy strolled in behind her. “William!” he exclaimed, making the baby boy squeal happily.

“He’s so cute!” Diane cooed.

“Diane, this is William, our son,” Felicity introduced.

“And Tommy’s godson,” Oliver added, his arm around Felicity.

“And my nephew!” Thea piped, not wanting to be left out.

“Well, duh!” Tommy rolled his eyes and picked William up. “But Uncle Tommy is the favorite!”

“Yeah, you wish,” Thea rolled her eyes. “I’m telling Klaus and Damon. They’ll fight you for it.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, William. I’m Diane,” the woman said with a bright smile and she tickled his little foot, making Will giggle adorably. “You’re such a cutie!”

“Oh, he has us all wrapped around his little finger,” Felicity groaned good naturally.

“He’s going to be a real heartthrob when he grows up,” Tommy said.

“Oh, no, buster. My son is not following in on your footsteps,” Felicity glared and took William from Tommy sticking her tongue out.

“Hey!”

“Will, this is Diane, can you say hi?” she adjusted her son on her hip.

“Da!” William exclaimed.

“It’s his favorite word out of the two he can say. The other one is dada.”

“I’m sure he’ll be calling for his mommy in no time, aren’t you buddy?”

“I hope so. Do you want to hold him?”

“Oh, yes! Can I?” she beamed.

“Sure,” Felicity assured her and passed her William, and the little boy went for her glasses immediately, making happy noises. “William!”

“Oh, it’s okay. All the kids love my glasses, don’t worry,” Diane assured her, bouncing William lightly.

And this is how Diane became the new member of their little family.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone should seriously stop me before I upload all the chapters in one go! I mean really, not even two days and here I am again! Oh, well. Not much I can do about it now. Anyway, my sister realized yesterday that she has read up to chapter 3 or 4 and I'm currently posting chapter 13, and she was like, "Why haven't I read them all?" and she wasn't all that pleased with me, even though it's not my fault she thinks she's got better things to do and to read. She was reading someone else's story yesterday. Just saying, sis. Anyway, I'm so excited about what's coming! When I first started this story, I never dreamed that it could grow to be potentially more than 20 chapters and that I was going to have so many brilliant characters! I'm about to start chapter 18, and I'm nowhere near done with the story. There are so many things coming and I'm so excited to share them with you! Hence why I can't wait for more than a handful of days to post. As always drop a comment down bellow, I always enjoy hearing from you, and stay safe!

Thea was a little less vocal this time around when it was time to go back to Starling. But only a tiny bit. But then again, she would fly over in November, so maybe that had to do something with it. Plus, she had taken a liking to Diane and she had them promised to meet up at least every other week for burgers.

The night before the trio was to fly back to Starling, they all gathered in Oliver and Felicity’s living room for pizza (homemade of course) and movies (Scooby-Doo). They had a good time, after Thea was done laying down the law; Damon and Lexi were to call her asap if there were any problems with any of the wedding arrangements and she’d take care of it from Starling, and if any other important event took place (she glared at Klaus and Caroline at that) she was to be informed asap. Plus, their usual calls.

Of course, that didn’t mean that the morning of their departure wasn’t a tearful one. William was particularly clingy that day, too. After the plane took off, they took him to the park, but it helped only a little bit. They spent most of the day cuddling and playing.

The next two and a half months were busy and got busier as the Dexi wedding, as Thea had dubbed it, grew closer. It got especially difficult when their families got into town the week before the event. Lexi was going crazy with all the cousins who suddenly had an opinion to share on her wedding. She was about to run for the mountains. Damon wasn’t fairing much better. They both kept saying that they couldn’t wait for Thea to arrive, so she could put everyone in their place.

“That’s pathetic, mate,” Klaus had teased. “You’re expecting a 14-year-old to solve your problem?”

“No, not just a 14-year-old. Thea Queen is not your typical teen. She is downright scary, and I am man enough to admit I need her help,” Damon had defended while hiding from his mother at Klaus and Caroline’s place.

Thea for her part had arranged a doctor’s appointment first thing the Friday before the wedding so, she could skip school altogether and arrive in Boston that same afternoon, with plenty of time to spare until the rehearsal dinner. Diane and Tommy flew in an hour after her.

“I think rehearsal dinners are stupid,” Damon said walking in the restaurant with the gang.

“Then why are you having one?” Thea asked.

“To appease our mothers,” Lexi sighed. “They are also paying for it. I refuse to pay twice to feed that mob.”

“At least this is a nice Italian restaurant. The food is great, so if nothing else, we’ll have a nice dinner,” Felicity said.

“Oh, you’ve been here before?” Diane asked.

“Yeah, for a few date nights,” Oliver confirmed. “It’s family-owned and those people put their souls in their food.”

“The tiramisu is to die for.”

“Prepare yourself, then. We got it for dessert,” Damon said just as they reached their table.

“About time!” Lilian Salvatore exclaimed when she saw them.

“The guests won’t arrive for another twenty minutes, mother!” Damon rolled his eyes hard.

“I’ve been here twenty minutes already!” his mother said back.

“Doing what? Everything is taken care of. I made sure of that; they sent me pictures and videos,” Thea piped.

“And who are you, young lady?” she almost glared.

“This is Thea Queen, our very good friend and the unofficial planner of the wedding,” Damon introduced. “Thea, this is my mother, Lilian Salvatore.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Salvatore,” Thea said politely.

“You as well. You said Queen, as in Robert and Moira Queen of Queen Consolidated?”

“The very same,” she said dryly.

“Now, mom, if you’ll excuse us, Thea was about to try and convince the chef to give her dessert before dinner.”

“If she’s having dessert before dinner, I want dessert before dinner,” Lexi said casually, taking Thea to the kitchen to escape from her mother-in-law.

“If you ask nicely,” Damon teased.

“How do you know Thea Queen?” his mother demanded.

“I’m friends with her brother,” Damon nodded towards Oliver, who was standing with Klaus. “And mom, no one is to find out that they are here and no photos of them on the internet. Am I clear?”

“Fine, but maybe you shouldn’t introduce them as Queens,” she advised and left.

“It’s going to be an interesting night,” Damon sighed to himself.

Thankfully, the night went by without incidents and they had a good time, surprisingly. They thought they were going to be bored out of their minds.

Their mothers tried to make Lexi and Damon not see one another until the ceremony, but they weren’t doing that. They were staying at their home for the night and they were driving to the Estate together. Their mothers were miffed about it.

Thea had arranged for a whole team of beauty professionals to be waiting for them at the room they were getting ready for facials, hair, makeup, and manicures. She had arranged for a couple of barbers for the boys, too.

“So, it’s time to get dressed,” Thea said after the behind the scenes photos had been taken. “Us first and then Lexi,” she instructed.

“Let’s get this party started!” Caroline exclaimed happily.

The girls helped each other, and Lexi’s mom to get dressed, put on shoes and jewelry. And then it was time to dress Lexi.

Her mother put a pair of pearl drop earrings on Lexi for her something old and her something borrowed, and Thea gave Lexi [a thin sapphire eternity ring](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/57772807708226614/).

“This is for your something blue and your something new.”

“Thea...”

“Oh, hush,” she rolled her eyes teasingly. “I opted for the thin option so that you can wear it with your wedding rings.”

“Thank you,” Lexi said and grabbed her in a big hug.

“No tears,” Thea mock ordered. “We don’t want to ruin your makeup.”

“Come on, ladies,” Lexi’s mom said. “The photographer is here for the last photos before we go downstairs.

They posed for a few more pictures and then they took the stairs, mindful of all their dresses and how bad would be if one tripped. Lexi’s father was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs and joined his wife and daughter. The other ladies lined behind the door, behind Stefan who was holding [William](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/174936766756098443/)’s hand and [the pillow with the rings](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/417708934164961189/).

When the door opened, the music started playing. Damon was waiting for his bride at the end of the aisle, with Klaus, Oliver, and Eric standing proudly next to him. The look on his face when he saw Lexi was priceless and Felicity hoped that someone took a photo of him.

The room was decorated with lit candles, red, black, and white flowers, and some wood elements. It gave off a feel of a vampire wedding to Felicity, and she loved it.

It took some coaxing for little William to let go of the ring pillow and Oliver had to step in, but thankfully he didn’t cry. Stefan took him to their seats, where Diane and Tommy were, and the little man settled with his godfather.

Oliver winked at his fiancée when she was close enough, making her blush prettily, but she took her place next to Caroline, followed by Thea who rolled her eyes at her brother.

Things got a little emotional when Lexi’s father gave her away, but they had minimal makeup losses.

The ceremony itself was simple and beautiful. The couple chose not to say their own vows, and Frankly Felicity agreed; it was something personal and for them to know, not for two hundred people to hear and gossip about. They exchanged their rings and Damon almost dropped Lexi’s.

“I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” the officiant said.

Damon barely let the man finish his sentence before he stepped forward and kissed Lexi.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore!” the man exclaimed, and the crowd applauded.

“Hey, husband,” Lexi beamed.

“Hey, wifey,” he mirrored her.

They spent another half hour taking pictures after the ceremony before they were able to join the rest of the guests at the reception room. Lexi and Damon cut [the cake](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898441807/) and after feeding each other, they had their [first dance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_RKO5ozLVo) as husband and wife.

Then it was time for the toasts. Every speech was moving and heartfelt; Caroline included a part of a poem and Klaus added a quote from Harry Potter that had the bridal party snickering. The formalities were dropped, and it was also time for the food.

Lexi danced with William for a couple of songs, as promised, and Caroline, Thea, and Felicity followed her example. Diane stole him for a dance, as well. Oliver and Felicity also danced a couple of songs with their son, until he fell asleep on them.

Damon was getting annoyed by the extended families and their mothers more and more as they critiqued their wedding in their faces; they didn’t like the venue, they didn’t like the flowers, they didn’t like the music, the cake should have been white, Lexi’s dress should have been puffy, yadda yadda yadda.

“We should have eloped,” he said after three hours.

“We should have put our foot down and only have our closest friends and family,” Lexi sighed. “But it’s done, now.”

“Word of advice,” Damon turned to Klaus and Caroline. “Don’t follow our example. Follow Oliver and Felicity’s example. Don’t invite people you don’t know their names. I don’t know half of my family that’s here.”

“At least we didn’t have to pay for most of them. Our mothers were desperate to have them so they’re footing the bill,” Lexi added.

“Don’t worry, when we get married, we’re only having close friends and family. No third cousins six times removed or whatever,” Klaus assured them.

“Smart move,” Damon raised his glass in salutation.

“As long as you don’t elope,” Thea warned.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, babe,” Caroline laughed. “We don’t want to end up as medical cadavers.”

“Good,” she nodded. “Question; how much makeup does your cousin Lila has on?”

“Too much. And too much perfume and hairspray. I’m half-afraid she’ll catch fire,” Lexi replied.

“We have a lot of candles,” Damon noted with a grin.

“Now that will be memorable,” Oliver chuckled.

“She’ll never shut up about it if it happens,” the bride said takin a sip of her champagne. “William is so lucky he can take a nap.”

“We can skip the rest of the night if you want. I’m game,” her husband offered.

“I would, but then my mother would kill me, and then your mother would kill you after they read us the riot act.”

“True. Let’s eat some cake. It was really good.”

“It’s amazing, even better than the samples we had,” Felicity nodded. She was already on her second slice.

“When are you coming over again, kid?” Klaus asked.

“Probably for the spring break. I don’t think I can get away for winter break. We have the Christmas parties at QC and the Manor. At least the food is good and there is plenty of cake to keep me company.”

“Just another three years and some change until you’re off-age, Speedy,” Oliver said.

“And three years and seven months to graduate,” she sighed. “I’m heading over here the moment I can. And truthfully, I don’t know if I want anything to do with Starling after I gain control over my trust fund.”

“I know how that feels,” Oliver sighed.

“I like how we all live together, in the same city,” Caroline said. “And I can’t wait for you Thea to make the move. We’re going to have a blast.”

“Only Tommy won’t be here.”

“He was telling me that they plan on opening an MGG office over here in two years, give or take,” Oliver said. “Hopefully by then he and Diane will be engaged.”

“I was thinking the other day about it, and how well they fit together,” Lexi commented.

“The guy is eating off her palm, not that Diane is any less in love. The way they look at each other is like Oliver and Felicity look at each other,” Klaus said over his cake. “It can get sickeningly sweet,” he teased.

“You love us!” Felicity accused playfully.

The entire bridal party stayed at the Estate for the night and breakfast the next morning. It was much more casual than the wedding and Damon and Lexi enjoyed it so much. Lexi won at rock paper scissors and got to feed William, and the look Damon had on his face while he watched her was adoring.

“How long until they announce they’re expecting?” Thea asked the rest of the gang when Damon and Lexi couldn’t hear them.

“Soon,” Caroline said.

“I’m not entirely sure they aren’t trying already,” Felicity said.

“Ten bucks for March,” Klaus said.

“My money is in May,” Caroline shook her head.

“After our wedding,” Oliver said. “So, August.”

“I think next Christmas,” Thea said.

“Halloween,” was Felicity’s bet.

“We just have to wait and see. When are you leaving us, kiddo?” Klaus turned to Thea.

“In four hours; I’m flying back with Tommy and Diane.”

“We’re meeting them at the park in an hour and they’ll go to the airport from there,” Oliver explained.

“We’ll miss you, Thea,” Caroline hugged her.

“I’ll miss you, too. And if by any chance you find yourselves at Starling, give me a call. Until then, I’ll just have to annoy Tommy.”

“Hey, Oliver?” Felicity murmured much later that day, in her fiancé’s arms.

“Hmm?”

“Have you thought about the press? I mean are you going to out your parents as liars? I mean not liars, exactly. But you know, they have been lying to everyone, in interviews too. Which makes them liars, but you know what I mean?” Felicity babbled.

“I do,” he chuckled kissing her. “I don’t know. Maybe I can give an interview and explain that they cut me off and they have been lying to people, while I’ve had zero contact with them. And maybe tell them that I’m done with Starling. Do you think Diane will be interested in it? She can sell that interview for a lot of money and she knows to keep away from certain topics, like William.”

“I don’t see why not, but when that time is closer, you can ask her. Otherwise, we can take advantage of our lawyer friends and release a short statement or something along those lines,” she suggested softly, enjoying the warmth of his embrace.

“Maybe we can let Thea post a picture or pictures of us on her Instagram. That will be fun,” he said.

“Oh, can you imagine? Everyone will start calling your parents for answers,” she chuckled.

“It may be petty, but I want them to be sorry for how they treated me. I mean, I can’t imagine telling William that he is not my son unless he gets a pretty piece of paper or not be in contact with him for three years, going to four.”

“Me neither. Of course, we’re not raising him like your parents raised you, because no offense sweetheart, but you were a spoilt brat,” Felicity said matter of factly.

“None taken. You are right, I was. But I like to think that I am much better now.”

“You are a completely different person, Oliver. And a person that I love very much.”

“I love you, too. So much,” Oliver said pulling her closer to him. “And I’m the luckiest man on planet Earth.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD !!!! I'm SO EXCITED !!! You have no idea what I'm writing at the moment and how excited I am for it! And now that I got this out of my system, I would like to point out that I have been begging my sister to read the story (she's still on chapter four since I uploaded it) and she still chooses to read someone else's book! For the love of god! We have some very exciting events coming up both in this chapter and in the following ones! And I'm SO excited! I can barely sit still to write! I'm that excited! I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think! I'm addicted to your comments! I truly love hearing from you all! Stay safe!

Oliver and Felicity hosted Thanksgiving at their house that year. Thea couldn’t be with them again, so Tommy and Diane decided to spend the holiday in Starling. The three of them had brunch together at Thea’s favorite place and they had dinner at Queen Manor as per usual.

That year, Thea had chosen [a sassy T-shirt](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/721842646519975367/) for Thanksgiving. She had been very passive-aggressive the last few days towards her parents and she had plans to continue. It was her new way to make them know how unhappy she was with them. She had told Felicity how many T-shirts like that she had ordered, and the older lady knew it was going to be an interesting new year. Thea had even sent [a Thanksgiving outfit](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/155303887196937219/) for William.

They Face-Timed again as per tradition, but this time Moira Queen didn’t interrupt them. Tommy and Diane promised to keep Thea entertained during dinner so that she wouldn’t have a huge fight with her parents. They all wanted to keep things as calm as possible.

And it was about that time when boys started noticing Thea consistently. She had gone out with a couple of them, but nothing really happened. Oliver had a hard time dealing with the fact that his baby sister was growing up. When Thea first mentioned she had a date, Oliver choked on his coffee and later burned dinner, because he was too preoccupied thinking about his sister dating than he was with cooking. At least they had burgers that night.

Not that the other guys had it easier. Tommy happened to be at the same places as Thea and her date when they went out, Thea noticed, too. Damon and Klaus both went white as a sheet when they heard, but they were surprisingly cool about it.

“It’s simple, really,” Damon had said.

“Thea can take care of herself and if the idiot hearts her, we’re going to find a way to throw his ass in prison,” Klaus had explained and then the two lawyers had high-fived.

The women had just rolled their eyes and then they teamed up and gave Thea The Talk. It was a little uncomfortable, but Thea was going to be fifteen soon, so someone had to have the talk with her.

The newlyweds were hosting Christmas that year, but this time they were joined by Tommy; Diane had gone to spend Christmas week with her family. Both her and Thea joined for a video call. Thea wore yet another passive-aggressive [T-shirt](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898466264/v) for the occasion. After they opened presents, she added the [leather jacket](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/316448311301016748/) Oliver and Felicity had gotten her.

By the time New Year’s arrived, all, except for Oliver, were down with a stomach bug, so they decided to camp out at Klaus and Caroline’s living room and watch movies, while Oliver played nurse. They had tons of chicken soup and chamomile tea. It was unforgettable.

The next big thing was Thea’s birthday. And by then, everyone was healthy again, even Oliver who was the last one to fall to the stomach bug. Thea had already gotten the [necklace](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/52987733105014149/) from her brother and soon to be sister in law. The rest had sent their gifts as well. So, they Face-Timed after school to have a mini birthday party for her. They even had [cake](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898442712/). Tommy and Diane took her to Russo’s that weekend for a celebration of their own. Of course, her mother’s event planner had a party-ready for her. Thea spent most of it on her phone texting her Boston family. At least the cake was good.

Thea arrived in late March for spring break. She was more chipper than usual, and everyone was happy about that. And then they found out why.

“So, here’s the thing,” she started during lunch on her first day. they were home, the four of them, and Oliver was feeding William. “Remember how I told you I had a date for Valentine’s?”

“Vividly,” Oliver cleared his throat uncomfortably.

“So, it went great and we went out more after that. And we’re together, as in, I have a boyfriend.”

Oliver lost all of his color and gapped at his sister. “Oh, for the love of god!” Felicity sighed. “Don’t be so dramatic, Oliver. It was bound to happen,” she rolled her eyes at her husband.

“but-but she is my baby sister,” he said helplessly.

“Honey, she is fifteen,” she said softly, though she wanted to laugh. “Tell me about him, Thea. I want to know everything.”

“His name is Leonard, and we go to school together. He’s on the soccer team and we have a couple of study groups together. It’s how we met, actually. He was born in December, so he is a grade above me. He took me to a nice bistro for our first date, but we prefer BBB most of the time, now. He polite and he has a great sense of humor. He has an Italian grandma and more importantly, he understands my sarcasm,” Thea said blushing faintly.

“And you have a crush on him, don’t you?” Felicity grinned.

“Totally.”

“Is he treating you well?” Oliver asked.

“Yes, Ollie, he is.”

“And you’re happy?”

“I am,” she nodded.

“That’s good enough for me, but if he hurts you…”

“I’ll help hide the body,” she nodded.

“Good,” he nodded and dropped a kiss on her head.

“So, Klaus mentioned something about sending Caroline on a treasure hunt,” Thea said, changing her subject, to allow her brother to relax a bit.

“He’s coming over after work to tell us all about it. Damon and Lexi are coming, too. I think he is finally going to propose,” Oliver said.

“Oh, I’m so excited!” Thea exclaimed and William clapped his hands. “That’s right, Will! Uncle Klaus is finally getting a move on!”

“Maybe we should wait until he tells us what’s this about? You know just a suggestion,” Oliver said.

“Mark my words, Oliver Jonas, another wedding is coming, and soon,” Thea said firmly.

“Fine, fine.”

“So, I need your help with a treasure hunt,” Klaus said later that day, in Oliver and Felicity’s living room.

“What’s the plan?” Damon asked.

“Each of you will be at a location with a rose and a riddle for Caroline,” Klaus explained. “The first one will go to the second location to pick up the person there and so on so that all of you can be at the final spot.”

“Where you are going to be?” Lexi asked grinning.

“Exactly.”

“And then what’s going to happen?” Thea asked though she knew the answer.

“Then, I’m going to go down on one knee and ask her to marry me,” he said slowly.

“Yes! I knew it! I knew it!” Thea exclaimed jumping from her seat.

“Congratulations, man,” Damon said.

“Yeah, Niklaus, about time!” Lexi teased

“You know, Damon, you’re the only one that didn’t use a creative way to propose,” Klaus teased.

“It was romantic and heartfelt,” Damon rolled his eyes at his friend. “And I was the first one to actually do it, so shut up.”

“Alright kids,” Felicity scolded playfully. “Tell us about the hunt, Klaus.”

“Well, since none of us is actually working on Easter day, I thought it would be a good time to do it,” he started. “I’ll leave the first rose and riddle on my pillow that day and I’ll leave to go to the final location and set up a picnic for all of us. So, the first location will be the coffee shop we met and I’m thinking Felicity and William for this location. Next, it’ll be the restaurant we had our first date at, that’s yours, Thea. The third location is our favorite bar, that’s Lexi. Location number four is the bistro we were at when I asked her to move n with me. That’s you, Damon. The fifth location is our favorite restaurant and Oliver will be there. And the final location is the park where I first told her I love her. By this point, I will have everything ready for the celebration, and William and the girls are going to be there to set up a camera to record the actual proposal.”

“That’s really nice, Klaus,” Felicity praised.

“Thanks. I’ve been working on it for some time.”

“Each one of us can take a video of Caroline receiving the roses and the riddles and we can incorporate them later,” Thea suggested.

“Let’s do that,” Klaus nodded.

“Do we get to see the ring?” Lexi asked.

“Only because you asked nicely,” he said and pulled a small box from his pocket. Inside was a [beautiful ring](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898442753/).

“God, Klaus. It’s beautiful!” Thea gasped.

“I think it suits Caroline beautifully,” Oliver clapped his friend on the back.

“I’m so excited!”

“Just remember; don’t let anything slip to Caroline next time you see her,” Klaus chuckled.

“I’m a master secret keeper, Nicklaus,” Thea rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, man. Don’t forget the secret blackmail stash of hers. God knows what’s in there,” Damon said to his friend. “She had dirt on _everyone_. I wouldn’t be surprised if she had something on the President.”

“Who says I don’t?” she turned to them with a raised eyebrow.

“See what I mean?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I can’t believe I can’t be there for it!” Tommy exclaimed the next time they Face-Timed.

“Sorry, Tom-Tom,” Thea smirked. “You have to be at Starling rubbing elbows with the investors.”

Tommy stuck his tongue out. “You’ll call me when it’s happened, right?”

“Of course, Tommy,” Oliver said. “We’re recording the whole thing, so I’m sure you will be able to watch it next time you’re around.”

“That’s something, I suppose.”

“Take notes, Tommy. You know, for when you realize you want to propose to Diane,” Thea grinned.

“You don’t do subtle, Speedy, do you?’ Tommy chuckled.

“No, I don’t.”

“I’ll start by asking her to move in with me tonight, how’s that?” Tommy smiled.

“A good start!”

“Tell us how it goes, buddy,” Oliver said.

“Sure thing, Ollie. Hey, where is Felicity?”

“She’s trying to put William down for the night. He’s very fuzzy tonight,” Oliver explained. “He’s growing another tooth.”

“Oh, the poor kid,” Tommy said sympathetically.

“Where’s Diane?”

“She’s editing an article she’s written. The deadline is tonight, and she is a perfectionist, so she will be looking over it until she has to send it.”

“Do you have any plans for tomorrow?”

“We’re going to the new aquarium downtown. They say it’s amazing,” Thea smiled brightly.

Diane was all for moving in with Tommy, as he let them know by three million texts.

On Easter Day, everyone was up and about early. Felicity prepared William’s bag, with everything they would need to keep the little boy happy. When William was fed, [dressed](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/720998221588884879/), and happy, the other three had a quick breakfast and left to meet with Klaus to get their riddles and roses.

“We’ll all meet at the final destination, hopefully soon,” Klaus said after he gave them their envelopes and the flowers.

“Take a big breath, Klaus, she won’t say no,” Felicity assured him.

“And your plan s a good one. Let’s roll!” Thea said and they scrambled.

_(Clue #1) Come on, get to know me, I dare you!  
-Where am I?_

Felicity arrived at the cafe with William and they sat on a table so that they would be easily spotted from the street. She ordered a coffee and made herself comfortable. She was texting with the others and keeping an eye on her son while keeping an eye out for Caroline.

When she saw her from afar, she pulled her phone out to record the moment.

She was almost done with her coffee when Caroline showed up, holding the first rose. “Good morning, Felicity, William. What are you doing here?”

“Good morning, Caroline,” Felicity grinned. “William and I thought that this would be a nice place to have a cup of coffee.”

“Yeah?”

“Uh-huh,” she nodded casually. “Oh, Klaus asked me to give you this when I saw you,” Felicity said and gave her the second envelope and the rose.

“Did he, now?” Caroline asked rhetorically as she opened it. “The apple pie is to die for, at least that’s what you said. I had the cheesecake. Where am I?” Caroline read the card. “I know, I had apple pie on our first date. I have to go, Felicity. I’ll call you later. Bye, kiddo,” she dropped a quick kiss on William’s cheek, and she left almost running.

 _Caroline heading to Thea’s location. On my way._ She texted their group chat. She paid for her coffee and took William to the car. She arrived just after Caroline. She saw from her parking spot Caroline walking up to Thea and the brunette handing her the next rose and envelop. _We have broken up twice, both times we tried to drown our sorrows. At the same place. At the same time. Where am I?_

When Caroline left, Felicity called Thea and told her she was parked across the street and they headed for Lexi’s location. They got stuck in traffic, so when they reached Lexi, Caroline was already leaving. _A milestone happened here, though you had to downsize your shoe collection. Where am I?_

Lexi saw them and she got in the car immediately. “How did it go?”

“So far, so good. You?” Felicity asked.

“Same, she figured out the place after reading it, so she is going for Damon.”

“Great. We’re heading for Klaus now. Damon is picking up Oliver with his bike so that they arrive before Caroline,” Thea said. “I’m so excited!”

“Me, too. I just told the boys we’re heading for the park. Klaus texted me the directions to his spot,” Lexi grinned.

Felicity found a nice parking spot close to the park’s entrance. They got William and the stroller out, even though the little man decided to walk with Auntie Thea, and they found Klaus, who was pacing.

He had set up the picnic blankets with the food and drinks and when he had nothing else to preoccupy himself with, he started pacing next to them. And people had started staring.

He had them tell him what had happened with all the details the moment he finished saying hello. The poor guy was so nervous, his palms were sweating.

“She just left Damon’s location,” Lexi said. “He said that it went off without a hitch, even though she tried to make him tell her what was going on.”

“Of course, she knew that if she could fish anyone, it would be Damon.”

“Don’t worry. He didn’t say anything. He’s on his way to Oliver,” she assured him.

“Klaus take a big breath. It will be disastrous if you were to pass out before you could actually ask her. And then, the plan would be for nothing,” Thea said stealing a piece of clementine.

“I don’t think you’re helping, Thea,” Felicity offered from next to her, where she was feeding fruit to William while he was playing with one of his 3D books.

“William, if you think she’s going to say no, do your thing. She can’t say no to you,” Klaus said, kneeling next to the toddler.

“Ca-Ca” the little boy giggled.

“Exactly, kiddo,” Klaus chuckled at his adopted nephew and sat next to him. “Oliver had the right idea, asking you through Will. No one can say no to him. Maybe I should have done the same thing with Caroline. The wait is killing me.”

Lexi threw a piece of bread at him. “Dude, I’ve never seen you doubt yourself like that, like ever! Get over it; Caroline loves you; she won’t turn you down, I promise you.”

Their phones dinged at the same time and Thea opened hers first. “She just left Oliver’s location.”

“Alright, then.” Klaus got up again. “The ring, where is the ring?” he asked and started patting his pockets until he found the box. He took it out, he checked the ring was inside and he put it back.

“What were you going to do if the ring wasn’t inside?” Thea asked.

“Panic?”

“More than you’re panicking now?” Felicity frowned.

Five minutes later, Damon and Oliver arrived, running to be on time. Felicity passed them some water to help them catch their breath. “She should be here soon,” Oliver said.

“Are you ready, buddy?” Damon asked, and dropped a kiss on his wife’s lips.

“I am. I can’t wait to marry her and even though I’m panicking, I know that she will say yes,” Klaus said sincerely.

“Let’s have the cameras on the ready, though, the traffic is light,” Oliver said sitting by his son and fiancée. He gave Felicity a quick, but strong kiss, and kissed his son’s chubby cheek. “You have the ring, right?”

“He just checked before you arrived,” Thea assured them. “He has the ring and the rose. Only Caroline is missing to get this show on the road,” she continued her phone in her hand. There was no way she was missing it.

“So, have you decided on your honeymoon?” Damon asked Oliver and Felicity to pass the time until Caroline arrived.

“I have a few ideas, but I’m not telling Felicity. I want it to be a surprise and I’m going to make concrete plans after I get my trust fund,” Oliver explained.

“I think I know where he’s taking her,” Thea smirked.

“And you’ll keep to yourself, or I’m getting married in my underwear,” her brother glared.

“OLLIE!” Thea exclaimed exasperated.

“I’m really curious now,” Felicity said looking between the siblings.

“Just a little patience, babe. I think you’ll love what I have in mind.” Oliver kissed her.

“I think I see Caroline!” Lexi exclaimed.

“Right!” Thea exclaimed. Let’s sit on the blankets facing Klaus. Phones at the ready, too!” she instructed and her, Lexi, and Damon sat on the blankets with Oliver, Felicity, and William.

Klaus was looking between them and Caroline wildly, his nerves were taking over.

“You’ve got this,” Thea assured him.

“Thanks, kid,” Klaus nodded getting himself together.

“Hey, guys,” Caroline finally reached them, holding all her roses. “What’s going on?” she looked at each one of them and finally her eyes landed on Klaus and the rose he was holding.

“They’ve been helping me with something,” Klaus smiled.

“What?” she titled her head.

“God, I had a whole speech prepared and I can’t remember it,” he sighed closing his eyes. “Remember when we first met at that coffee shop?”

“Yeah, you always flirted with me. And I suppose, you saw something in me because you were persistent,” Caroline smiled at the memories.

“You were with Tyler back then, and I had told you after you broke up that he was your first love, but I intended to be your last, no matter how long it takes,” he smiled widely.

“You did. And even though, I thought you were too forward, I actually liked that you liked me so much.”

“It’s true, I do intend to be your last love,” he said going down on one knee and popping the ring box out, “Will you marry me, Caroline?” he asked, opening the box.

Caroline gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my god! Are you serious?”

“I’ve never been more serious for anything in my life,” he said softly.

“I- Yes! Yes, of course, I’ll marry you!” she exclaimed with tears in her eyes.

Klaus smiled so brightly he could outshine the sun. He slipped the ring on her finger and got up. He put his arms around her and then he kissed her with all he had, barely hearing the cheering from their friends.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are again! I have an interesting chapter for you! I hope you enjoy it. My sister has yet to read the story and frankly, I'm offended. We are nearing the Olicity wedding and the events following it! And I'm SO EXCITED about it! Sometimes, I want to upload all the chapters at once, but I am a big girl and I can control myself, or so I like to think 😜. Drop a comment down below to let me know what you think, I would really appreciate it! And as always, stay safe! ❤❤❤

“I’m so excited,” Thea sighed contently. “Everything is falling into place and soon, I’ll be able to see you more than two or three times a year.”

They were back home, the four of them. They had spent most of the day at the park celebrating Klaus and Caroline’s engagement. They were lounging in the living room, while William was napping.

“And in a few more years, I’ll move out here for college as well,” she stated.

“And we’re very excited about it, kiddo,” Felicity grinned.

“Just a little more patience, Speedy. Just a little more,” her brother hugged her with one arm.

“Have you asked Diane to do your interview, yet?” Thea asked.

“I’m asking her the next time we’re Face-Timing,” Oliver replied. “I hope she agrees.”

“I think she will,” Felicity assured him. “Tommy said they’ll call us tonight if he’s meeting doesn’t run ridiculously late.”

“Tommy, the businessman,” the teen giggled.

“I think Oliver growing up has done a lot of good to him,” the blonde said.

“I think you and William have more to do with it than me.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, honey,” Felicity tilted her head.

Later that evening, Tommy and Diane Face-Timed them and the first thing they asked, after seeing William, they asked about the proposal. Diane wanted all the details. She thought it was cute and thoughtful. She loved that Klaus included their friends.

“Diane, I want to ask you something workwise,” Oliver started.

“Sure, Oliver. How can I help?” the brunette said.

“I know that interviews with ‘celebs’ aren’t your specialty, but uh, would you be interested in interviewing me?” Oliver asked a little bit shyly.

“I’m listening?” she leaned forward interested.

“Well, the tabloids will go wild when they spot me in Starling after four years, and they will be out for blood. So, we thought that it would be a good idea for me to do an interview, but as you know, I don’t trust many reporters, if any. However, I do trust you and you also have knowledge of my life, and I was wondering if you would do it?”

“Of course, Oliver,” Diane said easily. “Is there any specific publication you want to publish it?”

“Not really. The interview will be yours to sell, so I suppose at whichever gives you the best deal, as long as they agree to publish on a specific date.”

“Alright, then. I will prepare an initial list of questions and I’ll send it to you so that you can remove or add what you want. How does that sound?” she asked.

“Wonderful,” he nodded. “Thanks, Diane. It means a lot.”

“It’s my pleasure, Oliver. Don’t worry,” she said kindly.

“So, have you decided how you’re coming back?” Tommy asked.

“I’ll show up for September’s Board Meeting and I’ll let the article explain things and how my parents have been lying for four years,” Oliver explained. “At least, that’s what’s the plan for right now.”

“It’s certainly dramatic,” Thea chuckled. “I’m skipping school that day just so I can see their faces.”

“And how are you pulling that off?” Felicity asked.

“Well, I have access to my mother’s e-mail.”

“Right, sorry. I forgot who I was talking to,” Felicity chuckled.

“I’m sure she has access to everyone’s email,” Tommy commented.

“Not everyone’s, at least not yet. My parents are _really_ smart and write down all their passwords on sticky notes and hide them on their desks. It’s like they're begging me.”

“Well, I can’t fault you on that,” her soon to be sister in law said.

By the time Thea left for Starling, she had made a plan on how to skip school the day of Oliver’s return and how she was going to rage a secret war at her parents through social media. Passive-aggressive was her preferred style at the moment. They had also ordered Oliver and Felicity’s [wedding cake](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898500716/) and they had arranged for the food and music and the flowers. Thea had also convinced Oliver to wear [a tux](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/524599056591975846/), he was firm that it would be made of summer fabrics, though.

During the next three months, Oliver threw himself into his studies, as he didn’t want anything to jeopardize his graduation. Felicity helped him as much as she could, as did everyone else. They all knew how much he wanted it. Even William helped in his little way. He always was perfectly behaved while Oliver studied and several times, he would play with his toys next to his dad to keep him company. Felicity had snapped several cute photos of them.

Thea was counting down the days to her return to Boston, to her parents’ faces. And she always had a huge smile on her face. She was very proud of herself. In other news, she and her boyfriend were going strong and Thea was so happy about that.

Of course, that didn’t mean that Thea wasn’t a slave driver even from the other side of the country. With the Olicity wedding approaching, she called every day demanding updates on the preparations.

For their wedding, Oliver and Felicity (and Thea) were inspired by [a photo](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/353462270758407883/) Thea had found on the internet. Felicity had loved it immediately. That photo and Felicity’s love of blue served as the inspiration for the entire wedding. They paired it with navy blue and turquoise.

They had decided on their [wedding bands](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/824862487970878887/); they wanted something simple and timeless. They had decided to add a tiny ruby on the inside of Oliver’s ring (Felicity’s birthstone) and a tiny emerald on the inside of Felicity’s (Oliver’s birthstone) along with their wedding date.

Most everything was ready for the big day, but before that, some other major events took place. Oliver took his last exams as a college student and he did brilliantly. He was graduating on July 11th.

As per usual, Thea was back in Boston the day after the school let out for the summer. They celebrated [William’s 2nd birthday](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/2814818506399764/) and [Felicity’s 21st](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898500457/). and of course, they had celebrated [Oliver’s 25th](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/835628905839537780/) birthday in May.

The day before William’s second birthday, Diane and Oliver sat down for the interview.

D: Good morning, Oliver. How are you today?

O: Good morning, Diane. I’m very well, and you?

D: I’m well, thank you. And thank you for giving me this interview.

O: Diane, if anything, I should be the one thanking you. I know you normally don’t do interviews, but my re-appearance in Starling is bound to cause some frenzy and since you’re probably the only journalist I know and trust, I thought it would be a good idea to sit down with you.

D: Maybe I should add that on my website (chuckles). For the record, today is July 6th, 2010.

O: Yes, it is.

D: Let’s go back to April 2006, the last time you were publicly seen in Starling.

O: Yeah, also it’s when my parents and I had a huge falling out. They were sick of me and my adventures.

D: Did you fight a lot with your parents growing up?

O: No, I was raised with a silver spoon, by my nannies. I rarely saw my parents most of the time.

D: Tell me about your childhood and your teenage years.

O: As I said, I was raised by nannies until I was about 12 or 13. I always had the latest designer toys and clothes, no one ever said no to me and I could get away with everything. My father used to say, “We’re the Queens, we’re Starling’s Royalty”.

D: Not the best thing for a child to hear.

O: Definitely not. I truly thought that I could get away with everything and anything and I did. That’s what I had been taught. But after I dropped out of my third college, my parents decided that they didn’t want me to be their son until I got my MBA.

D: I’m sorry, what?

O: One night, I was called in my father’s study and my parents were both there. They said that they were disowning me and cutting me off. They said that they didn’t want to hear from me again until I got my MBA; they didn’t care if I was starving if I was sick or if I was dying. And I am quoting them.

D: That’s horrible.

O: Yes, it is. After that, I only had Thea. When I told her what had happened, she broke down in my arms, crying. I promised her that I was going to do my best in school and life. She was eleven at the time.

D: What happened after that?

O: I sold my Porsche and I gathered as much money as I could from what I had separately from my trust fund. I got a haircut and Thea gave me lessons on how to stay off the radar. Later I flew to Boston, as I was starting at Harvard. I had already decided that I was never going back to my parents. I found a job at a bar and I also found a place to stay.

D: Have you been back at Starling since you left?

O: Once, that December for three days to see my sister.

D: What have you been up to for the last four years?

O: Other than getting my MBA and working, I have made some amazing friends that I consider my family, I found the love of my life and I’m a dad to a wonderful little boy.

D: Well, that’s certainly a lot of information for our readers.

O: It is (chuckles). I met Felicity at the bar I’m working at. She was one of the waitresses. We became great friends, and I had a huge crush on her. Tommy and Thea certainly took the mickey out of me mercilessly. We got together early that spring. Several months later, we had a condom mishap which resulted in our son, which is the best thing that has ever happened to us, even though he wasn’t planned.

D: What about you and Felicity?”

O: We’re getting married soon.

D: Congratulations, again.

O: Thank you, again. (laughs)

D: Who knew about you and Felicity and that you have a son?

O: Other than our friends here, only Tommy and Thea. And of course, you found out later when Tommy brought you to Boston for the first time.

D: And what about your parents?

O: They’re going to find out from this interview. As I said, they didn’t want anything to do with me, if I didn’t have my MBA.

D: Don’t you think they would have like to know that they have a grandson?

O: I don’t care if I’m honest. They made their choice, and I made mine.

D: I want to ask you about Laurel Lance.

O: That’s ancient history but hit me.

D: When was the last time you had any contact with her?

O: About two months before the falling out with my parents, so February 2006, when I broke up with her for good. From what I know she has been calling Tommy and Thea on and off trying to find me.

D: She has often been seen with your parents.

O: According to Thea, who knows everything that goes on at any given time amongst the Starling elite, the three of them are plotting to get me under my parents’ control. Thea says that they want her to get back together with me, so she can get me to do what my parents want.

D: She has implied several times that the two of you have been together, over the years.

O: No, we haven’t. the only woman I have been with since February 2006, when I broke it off with Laurel, is Felicity. And no, I haven’t cheated on her. I have never even thought about it.

D: What about what your parents have been saying that you’ve been in Europe for the last four years, training to be the next CEO of QC?

O: I can assure you, I haven’t. I have only left Massachusetts, to this day, one time to visit Thea. Being QC’s CEO is not on my ten-year plan.

D: Are you planning on returning to Starling City?

O: Only for visits.

D: Why did you decide to go back to Starling now?

O: Because I’m graduating soon.

D: Can you tell us how soon?

O: Next week, but that’s all I’m going to say on the matter.

D: Let’s talk about Thea and Felicity, then.

O: Thea has adopted her as her big sister. I can’t tell you how many times Thea has kicked me off my bed to have girl-talk with Felicity. I think she keeps me around only because Felicity and I are a package deal.

D: Oh, that’s not true, Oliver. She keeps you around for your culinary skills, too.

O: Just what a brother wants to hear (chuckles).

D: Maybe you should teach Tommy a thing or two (dramatic sigh)

O: Is he still making omelets with the eggshells?

D: Yes, I’ve banned him from using eggs unsupervised.

O: Smart move (laughs).

D: Will you tell us about Thea and your son?

O: Thea adores him. And she takes her role as his aunt very seriously. And she has a bad habit of going shopping for him _all_ the time. we’re running out of space. Before my son was born she and Tommy sent us a large box full to the brim with clothes and toys. And Thea loves wearing aunt/nephew T-shirts. And my son is always very excited to see his aunt Thea. When she’s over, she’s his favorite person. And let me tell you, we have a lot of people that are miffed about it (laughs).

D: Oh, I know all about it (laughs). I want to ask you about your wedding.

O: You know all about it, but I won’t say much.

D: I respect that. What can you tell us?

O: It’s going to be intimate, a small affair with about a dozen people, or so. I can tell you that it’s soon and that Thea has organized the entire thing. It’s not going to be formal, as you’d expect from the Queen Family. It’s going to be a celebration; we want to have a good time and enjoy ourselves with the people that are important to us.

D: What can you tell us about how you proposed?

O: Well, I had wanted to ask her for the longest time, but I didn’t want her to think that I was asking her because of our baby, because I wasn’t. I genuinely wanted to marry her. So, I waited and after she graduated, I decided that it was time, and I enlisted the help of our friends and Thea and Tommy to find the perfect way to do it. I won’t say how I asked because it’s personal, but I can say that I included our son.

D: What about your honeymoon?

O: That’s something only I know, and it will stay like that until we arrive there. It’s a surprise.

D: I know the answer to this, but you mentioned that Felicity has already graduated. Is she older than you?

O: No, she is younger than me, but she is a certified genius, she got into MIT when she was 16 and graduated three years later, with dual masters as summa cumme laude.

D: What are your plans for the future?

O: the only plans I can reveal are those I have about being the best father and husband I possibly can. Everything else is for me and my family to know.

D: Great plans, if I do say so myself. Thank you, for sitting down with me today, Oliver. I will see you soon.

O: Thank you, Diane. See you soon.

“We only need a picture to accompany the interview,” Diane said packing her equipment.

“Lexi and Caroline are on it; they’re putting me in my graduation suit and we’re taking over Klaus’s office. It has a great view of the city, evidently.”

“Oliver, if anything happens to that suit, Thea will fry you!”

“I know. At first, we thought about using my tux for the wedding, but Thea threatened us all with bodily harm. Imagine if I was to wear that and something happened to it.”

“We’d go to your funeral instead of your wedding,” Diane chuckled.

“Exactly,” he nodded.

“I’ll go back to the hotel and edit the interview and I will start contacting publishers after the wedding. Tommy said you’re going to Starling next week?” she asked.

“Yes, I have to take care of some paperwork to take over my trust fund and also bring the jewelry Felicity is wearing at the wedding, from the vault.”

“You know, sometimes, I forget that you guys are filthy rich and then you go and say things like ‘the vault’,” she shook her head laughing lightly. “I’m going to go, and I’ll see you tomorrow for William’s birthday.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lockdown Vol. 2: The Return of Corona! Hello all! Today is the first day of the second lockdown here in Greece and I'm doing my best not to go crazy! So, what better way than uploading! After I did a spring cleaning in my room in November 😜. So, I have a very special chapter for you all! I got a little teary-eyed writing it! I hope you enjoy it! This is for all of you out there that need a pick me up! I definitely do! Please let me know what you think and STAY SAFE! 😷😷😷

On the morning of Oliver’s graduation, the whole household was up and about early. Thea woke Oliver and Felicity by jumping up and down on their bed. They weren’t big fans, but she was right; they had to get up and get ready because Oliver’s graduation was happening at ten in the morning.

Felicity changed William and Thea fed him, while the blonde freshened up [Oliver’s suit](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/381117187220996018/). Oliver himself was preparing breakfast, pancakes with bananas, and chocolate. They dressed [William](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/140806225578396/) and then let him play in his crib, while they got ready to go. [Felicity](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/513410426270086178/) and [Thea](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/22729173108616120/) got ready together while Oliver kept an eye on William, as they needed more time than Oliver to get ready. Miraculously, they were ready on time.

They met with Tommy and Diane outside the building the ceremony was taking place. After greeting each other, Oliver left to join his class and the rest went inside to join Klaus, Caroline, Damon, and Lexi, who were inside with balloons and a banner.

“Well, look at you, little man!” Caroline squealed. “You’re so handsome!” she said when they joined them.

“He’s matching his daddy, aren’t you, buddy?” Felicity beamed at her son.

“Yea,” the little boy said shyly.

“Aren’t you cutest, Will?” Lexi tickled his belly, making the boy giggle.

“He’s taking after his godfather,” Tommy grinned.

“Yeah, you wish,” Damon clapped him on the back.

“JJ just texted, he and the girls will be here in ten minutes,” Klaus said.

“Perfect!” Felicity smiled. “I’m so excited for him!”

“We know, Fee,” Caroline smiled. “We all are!”

“Hey, when is he leaving for Starling?” Damon asked.

“He’s leaving the day after tomorrow and he’s flying back on the 17th,” Felicity replied.

“And thankfully, my parents won’t be there at the time. They will be in New York for an annual gala and they won’t be back until the 18th,” Thea added. “Oops.”

“Something tells me that you had everything to do with that ‘oops’,” Diane chuckled.

“I just knew when they would be in New York, and it just so happened that those were good dates for Oliver to fly to Starling to take care of his business. It’s after his graduation and he will have plenty of time to be back for Felicity’s birthday and their wedding,” Thea shrugged.

It wasn’t long before the ceremony started. JJ and the rest of the bar crew arrived just in time. they waited patiently for the Dean to give his speech and then as he awarded the people before Oliver. But when the Dean handed Oliver his diploma the cheers and the clapping was like no other’s students. And just like in Felicity’s graduation, they recorded the whole thing. They waited patiently for the rest of the ceremony to conclude. Caroline was entertaining William who found her necklace fascinating.

When Oliver approached them, Felicity shoved her bag at Thea and ran in his arms. Oliver picked her up and turned them around before putting her down.

“I’m so proud of you!” she said with a big smile.

“Thank you. I love you,” he kissed her soundly.

“I love you, too. So much!” she said and kissed him, too.

Their friends hugged him and congratulated him one by one, with Caroline being the last to pass him, William, too. Oliver took his son and gave him a big kiss on his cheek. “Daddy!” the little boy exclaimed happily.

“Who is up for some ice-cream?” Oliver asked.

The days leading up to Oliver’s trip to Starling were busy. Klaus and Damon gave him a crash course to everything he should know just in case and Thea was on was warpath. She was going over all the details for the wedding again and again. Felicity had the final fitting for [her dress](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/709105903801298869/) and since it was a perfect fit, she took it home that same day. They put it in Thea’s closet so that Oliver wouldn’t see it.

Oliver left early the morning of his departure to catch his plane. Tommy had given him the keys to his car and the keys to his apartment to stay at so that no one would know that Oliver would be at Starling. He spent all his days at the bank and his grandmother’s lawyer who was in charge of his trust fund. He was going to claim his Queen trust fund first and when he would return for the Board Meeting, he would officially claim his Dearden trust as well.

By the time, Oliver was back in Boston, Tommy was ready to jump out of the window. Thea was driving him up the wall, he said. He was eloping, he said. Thea was going to murder him, Oliver said.

Oliver was a billionaire again, so for Felicity’s birthday, they took all their friends to their favorite Italian restaurant to celebrate. And Oliver had finally managed to get her a nice birthday gift, something that he had wanted ever since he met her. He brought her [a yellow gold, emerald, and diamond bangle](https://suzannekalan.com/products/emerald-stacked-bangle?_pos=10&_sid=773bb24a8&_ss=r).

They had a wonderful time, and they took tons of pictures for Felicity’s photo albums. William loved being able to play with all his aunts and uncles all night, even if he fell asleep half-way through the night.

It was late by the time they made it home. They put the children to bed, Thea wasn’t too happy to be addressed as a child, and then they celebrated on their own in the privacy of their bedroom.

The week between Felicity’s birthday and the wedding went by fast. Oliver had also stopped working at the bar, so Thea had one more person to order around. They made the final arrangements for it, and they all checked and doubled checked their outfits and all the details.

The day before the wedding, Thea had arranged for a full day of spa for herself, Diane, and Felicity. Lexi and Caroline were joining them after they got off work, for massages, mani, and pedis. Oliver and Tommy were on William duty.

Instead of a rehearsal dinner, they decided to have a movie night with snacks prepared by Oliver, so that they wouldn’t have any nasty surprises like food poisoning.

Oliver went to a hotel that night so that he wouldn’t see Felicity before the wedding. He wasn’t too happy about it, but he wanted Felicity to have the whole wedding experience, even though their wedding wasn’t all that traditional. So, he went with it.

Back at the apartment, the girls and William had a leisure morning. They ordered breakfast for themselves and for Lexi, Caroline, and Diane who arrived just after the food. The only real food they were going to have until the reception, until then Thea allowed them to only have fruit and salads. Mary, Ann, and Rania joined later that morning, as well.

Just after lunch, their beauty team arrived. They had facial treatments and then had their hair and makeup done. Felicity had her hair done in a [boho chignon](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/503981014551411209/) and her makeup was light and fresh. The others chose to have their hair down.

Because of the venue, Felicity had chosen [flat sandals](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898405694/) that matched her dress perfectly. [Thea’s MOH dress](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/720927852845314312/) was yellow and short and she had [a flower crown](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/739153357587432447/) for her hair. Oliver, Tommy, and William had matching [boutonnieres](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/463096774186754338/).

At the same time, the guys had gathered at the Salvatore apartment at noon.

“So, how do you feel, Oliver? You won’t be a bachelor much longer,” JJ asked.

“Man, I can’t wait to marry Felicity,” Oliver said with a huge smile.

“And then I won’t be alone at the married men’s club,” Damon pipped.

“And then it’s Klaus’s turn to join us,” the groom said.

“Not for another year or so, but yes,” the man in question nodded. “Hey, Tommy, how do you like living with Diane?”

“I love it, and I don’t mean just because we have sex whenever we want, but it’s the little things. Like how I love waking up with her in my arms, or how I enjoy having breakfast with Diane in our pajamas. Of course, she yells when I leave my dirty laundry here and there, but the good severely outnumber the bad.”

“Spoken like a man in love,” Klaus said grinning.

“Yes, I am.”

“We know,” the others chorused.

“Oh, shut up,” Tommy rolled his eyes blushing. “So, how are we arriving at the gardens?”

“I rented a Mercedes for today I’m driving it there and later you’ll take it to go pick up Felicity and Thea. Lexi is taking my car because it has William’s car seat, and she’s bringing him and Caroline and Diane. Ann is bringing Mary and Rania. Damon and Klaus are taking their cars and JJ is riding with one of them,” Oliver explained.

“Right. And the people are already there setting up the venue, correct?” the best man asked again.

“They should have started,” Oliver nodded. “And half an hour before the ceremony the cake will arrive.”

“Thea also demanded to call her when we arrive, so that she can make sure that everything is ready, otherwise she’ll eat the poor people alive,” Damon said.

“Maybe she should become a wedding planner. She will be successful, for sure,” JJ commented.

“True.”

When the men arrived at the gardens everything was ready. Klaus called Thea and then he sent her photos. The [aisle and the seating area](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898500656/) were ready, as was [the big table](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/407505466274652480/) that was going to host all of them, the bar and the buffet. The photographer had set up his equipment as had the DJ. Lastly, the people from the baker came and brought the [cake](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898500716/) and the [cupcakes](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898500436/).

“Felicity, it’s time to get ready,” Thea said.

“Wait, we have to get Will ready first!” the bride exclaimed.

“Don’t worry about it,” Caroline said. “Diane changed him, he’s fed, and we’ll put him in his clothes after you’re ready. We don’t want to risk him getting food on them.”

“Okay, then,” she nodded. “I need to go to the bathroom before I get the dress on.”

“You do that, while we put on our dresses,” Lexi nodded.

When Felicity was ready, they helped her put the [dress](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898502654/) and the [shoes](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898405694/) on, and then they helped her with the [earrings](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124896764235/) and the [bracelet](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/242350023668139509/) that Oliver had brought from the vault.

“So, we have something old and blue: the bracelet and the earrings,” Lexi said.

“We have something burrowed,” Diane pulled a [ring](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898500867/) from her clutch and put it on Felicity’s right forefinger.

“And we also have something new,” Thea said and showed them the [eternity ring](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/791015122023673424/) that she had between her fingers, which then she put it on Felicity’s left ring finger, adding to her engagement ring and the ring Oliver had given her when she gave birth to William.

“Thea, it’s beautiful,” Felicity pulled her in a hug. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she hugged her back tightly. “You better not be crying, though. We don’t want to ruin your makeup.”

“Right, sorry,” she pulled back, fanning her face.

“You look beautiful, Felicity,” Diane said emotionally.

“No tears! If you guys cry, I’ll cry,” Felicity tried to sound stern.

“Let’s put William in his clothes; Tommy should be here in fifteen minutes or so,” Caroline said and picked up her nephew.

“Mamma!” Will exclaimed excitedly.

“Yes, Will, mamma is beautiful, isn’t she?” Caroline smiled at the toddler. “It’s a big day today, for mamma and dad. And you need to get in your clothes to be even more handsome than you already are!”

With the little man in [his outfit](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/155444624622830370/) for the wedding, everyone was ready. And just in time, as Tommy rang the bell.

“Good god, Felicity,” Tommy gasped. “You look amazing,” he kissed her cheek. “Oliver won’t know what hit him.”

“Thank you, Tommy,” she beamed at him.

“Of course, all of you ladies are gorgeous, especially you, hon,” Tommy grinned.

“Thanks, babe.”

“So, how about we give you girls a head start so that you can arrive before us and take your seats?” he suggested. “About ten minutes?”

“Yes,” Lexi nodded. “Let’s go, ladies and little gentleman,” she picked up William, and all but Felicity, Thea, and Tommy left after Felicity planted a kiss on her son’s cheek.

Thea had Tommy help her pick up the living room and the bedroom, to pass those ten minutes. When it was time to leave, Thea locked the door behind them, while Tommy helped Felicity in the car.

They found a little bit of traffic on their way, but they arrived a good ten minutes after the others. They walked together up to a point before Tommy left them to join Oliver on his post as the best man.

“Ready?” Thea asked Felicity.

“So ready, Thea,” she said honestly. “I really can’t wait to say I do.”

“Well then, let’s get going,” Thea beamed. She signaled the DJ who played the [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dElRVQFqj-k) for the walk down the aisle.

Thea walked ten steps ahead of her. Felicity squeezed her [bouquet](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/169940585929338670/) for assurance one time before she followed her soon to be sister to her to be husband.

Her eyes were on Oliver who was standing proudly under the arch, sporting a huge smile. Felicity looked around in search of her son, who was standing with his godfather. She barely remembered the walk to Oliver other than that. She was in front of him in no time.

“You look beautiful,” he said with such love that made Felicity weak on her knees.

“Thank you. You look really handsome in your tux, too,” she blushed. Felicity turned and gave her bouquet to Thea and then they joined hands and turned to the minister.

_Welcome! Felicity and Oliver have brought us together here for an occasion of great joy and a cause for great celebration. Having found each other, they have built the kind of relationship that will serve them well as the foundation for their marriage. They have chosen each one of you to be here with them to witness their wedding vows as they join together as husband and wife._

_Marriage is a bold step into an unknown future. It is risking who we are for the sake of who we can be. In marriage, two lives are intimately shared; and the blending of the two must not diminish either one. Rather, it should enhance the individuality of each partner._

_Each of us knows that a marriage is not created by a law or a ceremony; rather it occurs in the hearts of two human beings. It grows out of loving, caring, and sharing ourselves with another. This ceremony is not magic, it will not create a relationship that does not already exist and has not already been celebrated in all the commitments Felicity and Oliver have made to each other, both large and small, in the days since they first met and recognized their connection to one another._

_So, in witnessing this ceremony today, we are observing only an outward sign of an inward union that already exists between Felicity and Oliver. This ceremony is a symbol of how far they have come together and a symbol of the promise that they will make to each other to continue to live their lives together and to love each other solely and above all others._

_There are only two official witnesses at a wedding but each and every person here today will witness the words that they will speak to one another and the vows that they will make. You should take good care to remember these words; for a marriage needs the help of a community, of friends and family who will be there when needed and will do all that they can during hard times to stand by Felicity and Oliver and offer their support to them and the new family that they create today. May you always do all within your power to support the union that will be made here today and to nurture the bond between these two people whom you love._

_If the old fairy-tale ending “and they lived happily ever after….” is taken to mean “They felt for the next fifty years exactly as they felt the day before they were married,” then it says what probably never was nor ever would be true, and would be highly undesirable if it were. Who could bear to live in that excitement for even five years? What would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, and your friendships? But, of course, ceasing to be “in love” need not mean ceasing to love._

_Love in this second sense-love as distinct from “being in love” and it is not merely a feeling. Love is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by the grace which both partners receive from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each could easily allow themselves to be “in love” with someone else. “Being in love” first moved them to promise fidelity but this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it._

_A successful marriage is not something that just happens. It takes work, it takes patience, and it takes time. It takes a commitment from both of you… a commitment to do whatever it takes to make your relationship thrive and not just simply survive._

_Oliver, will you take Felicity to be your lawfully wedded wife and travel the rest of life’s road with her? Will you love her, laugh with her, comfort her, honor and protect her, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?_

“I do,” Oliver said proudly and squeezed her hands lightly.

_Felicity, will you take Oliver to be your lawfully wedded Husband and travel the rest of life’s road with him? Will you love him, laugh with him, comfort him, honor and protect him, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?_

“I do,” Felicity said with a bright smile on her face.

_Felicity and Oliver, the symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word.” Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this – is my husband, this – is my wife._

_  
I, Oliver, choose you, Felicity_ _In the presence of our friends and family,_ _To be my wife and partner_ _From this day forward;_ _To love you,_ _To be a comfort and safe haven in your life,_ _To hold you close,_ _To listen deeply when you speak,_ _To uphold you with my strength,_ _To weigh the effects of the words I speak_ _And the things I do,_ _To never take you for granted_ _And to always give thanks_ _For your presence in my life._

_I, Felicity, choose you, Oliver_ _In the presence of our friends and family,_ _To be my husband and partner_ _From this day forward;_ _To love you,_ _To be a comfort and safe haven in your life,_ _To hold you close,_ _To listen deeply when you speak,_ _To uphold you with my strength,_ _To weigh the effects of the words I speak_ _And the things I do,_ _To never take you for granted_ _And to always give thanks_ _For your presence in my life._

“Your wedding bands?” the official asked.

  
They turned to Thea and Tommy for the rings, and after Tommy almost dropped Felicity’s, they turned to each other.

_This is the point in the ceremony when people talk about the wedding bands being a perfect circle, having no beginning and no end. But we all know that these rings have a beginning. Rock is dug up from the earth. Metals are liquefied in a furnace at a thousand degrees. The hot metal is forged, cooled, and then painstakingly polished. Something beautiful made from raw elements._

_Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, made by imperfect beings. It is the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all._

_The promises which you have spoken to each other today are inscribed forever in your minds, in your hearts. But words are fleeting so let these rings serve as a reminder of the feelings you have in your hearts at this very moment._

_Now, Repeat after me, Oliver:_

_With this ring, I am giving you my promise to always love you, cherish you, honor you, and comfort you. I promise that I will love you, and keep my heart open to you, all the days of my life._

_  
Felicity:_

_With this ring, I am giving you my promise to always love you, cherish you, honor you, and comfort you. I promise that I will love you, and keep my heart open to you, all the days of my life._

_Felicity and Oliver, no one but you can declare yourselves married. You have begun it here today in speaking your vows before your family and friends and you will do it again in the days and years to come, standing by each other, sharing all that is sweet and bitter in life. Each tender act, each loving word will be the declaration of what was made here today._

_Therefore, it is my joyful responsibility to officially acknowledge your union as “Husband and Wife”. You may now seal your marriage with a kiss._

_Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my privilege to present to you for the very first time as husband and wife, Mr. & Mrs. Queen!_

Oliver kissed his wife and their friends cheered and clapped like crazy, even little William.

“I love you, wife,” he said when they came up for air.

“I love you, too, husband,” she grinned up to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The text in italics is from here: https://wanderlustbay.com/wedding-ceremony-scripts/


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lockdown Season 2 Day 5! Things are fairly good so far, in the sense that I am not climbing the walls yet! But I'm writing three different stories at the same time and I'm doing two versions for one of them, so I don't if that's normal. Anyway, here is the reception of Oliver and Felicity's wedding and some more things I won't mention. Hope you enjoy it! As always, let me know what you think and STAY SAFE!

Oliver kissed his wife one more time and they walked down the aisle as husband and wife, followed by Thea and Tommy. People started hugging them instantly with William being the first. The little boy had gone to Caroline halfway through the ceremony, probably because he got bored standing for so long.

Everyone hugged everyone and then it was time to get the party started. JJ went to the car and brought William’s stroller and a bag with his toys; the little guy was bound to get bored at some point, so they thought it would be a good idea to have some toys and books for him to play with, and of course, his stroller to sleep in when it was his bedtime.

The newly married couple cut the cake first, feeding each other the chocolate and salted caramel goodness that was their cake, and then they had their [first dance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g83se50wTrs). And from then on, the party started.

Everyone danced with everyone, and they all danced with William until the little guy fell asleep on Klaus’s shoulder. They took a break from all the dancing and decided to eat, so they could continue later.

During the ‘formal’ dinner’, Caroline and Klaus were whispering to each other, but no one knew what about. Thea had a good idea what it was about when after some time, they were sporting huge smiled on their faces, but she wasn’t going to pressure them that night.

“How does it feel?” Damon asked Oliver during the second food break.

“What? Being married?”

“Yeah,” he nodded.

“Wonderful,” Oliver smiled brightly, his eyes trailing his wife, who was talking with Diane and Caroline. “I’ve been waiting to marry her for a long time.”

“I know how that feels. Lex and I have been together for six years and we got married after five. I knew I wanted to marry her at two, but you know, she had her residency and exams and then life happened. But I’m so happy I got to marry her.”

“I know. It shows on your faces. And we also know that you want children,” Oliver said. “We’ve known for some time now.”

“And how do you know that Sherlock?”

“We got the first clue at our baby-shower; the way you were looking at Lexi while you teased her spoke volumes. And then, of course, we have William’s birth; When Lexi was holding him, you were looking at her with such love and adoration. Plus, you’re amazing with Will,” Oliver exclaimed. “Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re not,” Damon said. “We talked about it and Lexi wants to wait to sit her last exams and start her fellowship; she’ll have somewhat more normal hours and less stress then.”

“Your kids will have you wrapped around their little fingers,” Oliver grinned.

“Lexi is already making fun of me,” he rolled his eyes teasingly. “I say, wait until Klaus and Caroline have kids.”

“Oh, yeah, he’s screwed, too.” Oliver laughed.

“What about you?”

“What about me? I already have a kid,” Oliver frowned.

“No shit, Sherlock,” Damon gasped dramatically. “I mean when are you having another one?”

“We haven’t made a schedule, but we want to take care of a few things, first.”

“Like what?”

“Like me going publicly back to Starling and comforting my parents, buying a house and moving and we’ve been talking about starting a charity here in Boston,” Oliver explained.

“What kind of charity?” Damon asked interested.

“We haven’t decided yet, but something to help young parents,” Oliver explained. “I wasn’t supposed to say anything yet.”

“Don’t worry, my lips are sealed. But I would like to help, and I’m sure the others will as well.”

“I appreciate that,” Oliver nodded. “And when the time comes, we’ll bring you in on it.”

“You better,” Damon glared.

It was well after two in the morning when they decided to call it a night. They had arranged for all the flowers to be delivered at the Children’s Hospital Caroline worked at the next morning, so it was time to leave.

“New plan,” Klaus said suddenly. “You are switching houses with us for the night,” he said and tossed his keys at Oliver. “And we’re taking your kid, too.”

“But-“

“No buts, young lady,” Caroline said sternly. “You go and enjoy your wedding night and we’ll see you tomorrow for brunch. Thea has packed you a bag.”

“Thanks, guys,” Oliver nodded and wrapped his arm around his wife.

“Kiss him goodbye and go.”

“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Thea hugged them.

Felicity and Oliver enjoyed their wedding night and the next morning. They wouldn’t trade their little boy for anything, but sometimes it was nice to be just the two of them. The next morning, they picked up after themselves and changed the sheets, before going back to their place.

Caroline and Klaus had just gotten up and Thea was still sleeping. William was in his play area entertaining himself with his books and he would giggle from time to time.

“Well, someone is glowing,” Caroline grinned. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Felicity grinned.

“Did you have a good time?” Klaus asked.

“The best,” Oliver said. “Thank you for doing this.”

“You’d do the same, Oliver. Plus, our master plan was to steal your kid,” Caroline said with a straight face.

“Have you noticed they like William better than us?” Felicity tilted her head.

“He’s a cute kid,” Oliver shrugged. “So, brunch, when are the others coming?”

“In forty-five minutes or so, though Lexi has to leave two hours after that for her sift,” Klaus said.

“Are we cooking or are we ordering?” Felicity asked.

“We’re ordering from that great bistro on the 12th street,” Oliver kissed her head and went to find their menu.

“Was he good for you?” Felicity asked looking at her baby boy.

“The best. He’s so well mannered. He was only cranky when we were changing him out of his clothes. You guys have done an amazing job with him,” Caroline said fondly.

“Thank you,” her friend said proudly. “He’s making it easy, he’s such a good baby.”

“I’ll let you train my kids, too” the doctor joked.

“You know, I can’t wait for all of you to have kids, too. I have grand plans for birthday parties and BBQs in our back yard. Lots and lots of plans,” Felicity smiled.

“And what about another little Queen running around?”

“Not yet, but maybe in a year or so, we want to get settled first,” Felicity explained. “What about you and Mr. Mikaelson?”

“Let us get married first, will you?” Caroline chuckled, but you couldn’t miss her blush.

“Uh-huh.”

“So,” Thea said turning to Klaus and Caroline. They were currently all around the dining table eating. “What were the two of you all giggly and secretive about last night?”

The couple looked at each other and then turned to Thea. “How much would you hate me if I was to tell you that I want to find my wedding dress before you leave for Starling?”

“Are you serious?!” Thea exclaimed. “That’s three weeks!”

“We know, but I thought you might be up for the challenge. Plus, I want you to be there when I find my dress, and since we want to get married on March 19th, we have to do the dress shopping now.”

“Oh my god! You finally got a date!” Felicity exclaimed.

“We decided on it last night. That’s what we were talking about; we have waited long enough, we want to get married as soon as we can and since on that day it’s a full moon, we want to go for a celestial theme,” Klaus exclaimed.

“Give me your work schedule and I will start making appointments at boutiques. I’ll start with the one Felicity got her dress from and then with the one we got Lexi’s dress and we’ll go from there. I’ll make a Pinterest board for ideas and inspiration today, so drop by tomorrow to see what you like and stuff,” Thea sighed dramatically, though she gave them a big smile.

“You’re the best, kiddo,” Caroline said.

“Don’t I know it?”

“Her ego doesn’t need any stroking,” Tommy piped.

“Remember that the next time you ask for my help, Merlyn,” Thea rolled her eyes.

“Busted,” Damon smirked.

“Thea is a master planner, so I think she deserves all the credit she gets,” Diane said and winked at the teen.

“See? Diane gets it,” she crossed her hands on her chest.

“So,” Tommy said loudly changing the subject. “Diane and I are leaving next week for Starling, what about you, Speedy?”

“Well, schools start on September 5th, so I’m flying with those two,” she pointed to Felicity and Oliver, “on August 30th.”

“Have you decided if you’re taking William? We’re all for babysitting, just so you know,” Lexi said.

“Us, too, if you decide to bring him to Starling,” Diane said.

“We haven’t decided yet,” Felicity said.

“I want him as far away from my parents as I can, but then again, we’re not huge fans of being away from him for so long,” Oliver explained.

“Two weeks,” Felicity said. “I have some meetings at Merlyn Global on top of the things Oliver has to take care of.”

“Are you staying at a hotel?” Tommy asked.

“I’m not comfortable staying at a hotel; It will be easier for paparazzi and reporters to get in, plus random people trying to take a pic of William,” Felicity sighed.

“How about hired security?” Tommy proposed.

“That’s a good idea and quite possibly what we’re doing,” his best friend said.

“And I’m sure you’ll be able to get a room at one of the big-name hotels. They take security seriously. Especially, if your last name is Queen.”

Felicity had a silent conversation with her husband. “We’ll look into it”

“Did I mention I’m coming to QC for the Board Meeting?” Thea said.

“I thought you’d prefer to claw out your eyeballs than attending a QC meeting,” Oliver raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, no. I’m not attending the meeting; I just want to see their faces when you show up,” she clarified. “I’m sure I can find something to do until you’re done with the meeting.”

“For that, I have no doubt.”

“Maybe you should record the encounter so the rest of us can enjoy it, too,” Damon said.

“Well, duh, I’ll have my bodyguard do it so that I can enjoy it live. He’s a little drama queen, too.”

“You still have Robert?” Oliver asked.

“Yup. He’s a good guy, a little quiet, but I’m not losing faith, I’ll break him. He needs to frown less; he’ll be full of wrinkles before he’s forty.”

Thea made appointments but she made Klaus and Caroline decide on the venue first. “The dress has to be appropriate for the venue. You can’t get married on the beach with a ball gown,” she had said.

And so, they did, they were having their wedding at a smaller park, a little outside of the city that had a gorgeous lake, and it was surrounded by nice grass. Thea thought it would be a great place, especially because of the full moon.

The moment the words ‘celestial theme’ left Caroline’s lips, on their first appointment, they were shown dresses whose fabric resembled the stars or constellations. But it was too much dress for her taste. She didn’t want huge bell sleeves or three feet train on her dress. She wanted to be able to move and enjoy herself without worrying that someone was going to step her dress or that someone was going to trip over it.

After the third dress, she cut Thea loose. The brunette had found Felicity and Lexi’s dresses, and Caroline was confident that she was going to find hers too. Thea came up with three dresses ([dress 1](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/803400021013375008/), [dress 2](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898457724/), [dress 3](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898404700/))

But Caroline knew as soon as she saw it and she had been right; Thea had found [her dress](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898404700/). It was just what she had been looking for: simple lines, lust a tad sexy, easy to move around, and had a brilliant boho feeling from the lace design. It was perfect.

“You know,” Caroline said when she came out of the fitting room to show them the dress, “when it’s your turn to get married, are we going to gang up and find yours, since you’ve found all of ours?”

“You look radiant,” Felicity blurted out.

“Coco!” William exclaimed. That’s how he called Caroline nowadays.

“I knew this was it!” Thea exclaimed. “You look so amazing, Caroline! And yes, you’re ganging up and looking for my dress,” she winked cheekily.

“So, is this it?” Felicity asked with a huge smile. “Because this is it in my humble opinion.”

“This is it!” Caroline exclaimed.

“Brilliant!” Thea exclaimed. “I have so many ideas for your hair! it’s too bad Lexi couldn’t come, though.”

“That’s the life of a doctor, babe,” Caroline shrugged.

“I like it when we’re all together,” the teen admitted. “But I understand, she had to help babies come into the world, which is a pretty important job, but still.”

“Don’t worry, she’s not missing your wedding dress shopping,” Caroline said firmly.

“I have two things to say; first, let’s not talk about Thea getting married in front of Oliver, and second, do you have any idea how lucky it is you found your dress after only trying on four?” Felicity said.

“Oh, yes. Thank god. I don’t think I could have tried on as many as Lexi did,” the doctor chuckled.

“Hey, how did it go?” Oliver greeted his family when they returned home from dress shopping with Caroline.

“Thea found Caroline’s dress. It’s 3 out of 3, thus far,” Felicity replied, stepping closer so she could kiss her husband.

“Really? That was fast.”

“It was the fourth dress she tried, too. It’s the fastest so far. I wonder if I can do better with Diane,” Thea mused.

“Maybe you should wait to see if Tommy proposes?”

“Well, of course, he will, in a year or two. He asked her to move in with him and it’s going wonderfully. Plus, I’ve never seen Tommy happier than he is with Diane. I think it’s a safe bet that he’s proposing soon-ish,” his sister explained.

“I can’t argue with that logic,” Oliver sighed playfully and picked William and kissed him before setting him down to let him play.

“And on that note, I’m going to have a shower and then play with my favorite nephew,” Thea said and disappeared to her room.

“So, husband,” Felicity put her arms around his waist, “what have you been up to?”

“Well, wife,” he smiled and put his arms around her, too, “I’ve been looking for bodyguards for our trip and maybe on a more permanent basis.”

“Have you found anyone promising?”

“A few, but I want to do interviews before we decide. What do you say?” he asked and kissed her neck.

“I think that’s a great idea,” she hummed leaning towards him.

“Innocent eyes in the room!” Thea yelled from the hallway.

“We’re not even kissing!” Felicity sighed dramatically. “How about you go arrange those interviews and I’ll order Thai for dinner?”

“I love the way you think,” Oliver gave her a peck on the lips. “And I’ll feed Will, too.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he kissed her and pulled back to let her order dinner, and then he turned back to his computer sending emails to arrange those interviews.

“We need to go shopping for clothes for both of you,” Thea stated later when they were having dinner.

“We do?” Felicity frowned.

“Yup, Oliver needs business suits, and you need some power outfits; you’re bound to meet people that know my parents and they will learn everything they possibly can about you. Plus, you mentioned that you need to get Will some winter clothes, right?”

“We do,” her sister in law nodded.

“Two birds with one stone. I have a few places in mind, I promise to make it as painless as possible.”

“That’s not too promising; the last time you took me shopping I needed three days to recover,” Oliver grumbled lightly.

“Don’t be a baby, Ollie,” she rolled her eyes. “Anyway, when do you have those interviews?”

“Tomorrow,” Felicity said. “It was lucky that all six of them were able to come over tomorrow.”

“It probably has to do something with our last name, but I’m not one to complain,” Thea said. “I can entertain the munchkin in his room while you do your thing.”

“Thanks, Thea.”

“Don’t thank me, I’m corrupting him,” she smirked. “we’re taking over the world when he’s older.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lockdown Season 2, Day 6.  
> I swear I was going to wait another day, but I cannot help myself! I want to know what you think so bad, and I'm itching to update, so here we are! Chapter 18! And do you know what? The trip to Starling is SO CLOSE! Of course, I already know what's going to happen, but I'm still so excited for you to read it! Anyway, I'm going to stop talking before I start spoiling things! As always, let me know what you think, and stay safe!
> 
> P.S. I have a feeling that you're going to especially like this chapter!

“Babe, what are we going to do with the jewelry you brought from Starling?” Felicity asked her husband later than night when they were cuddling on the bed.

“What do you mean?” he asked frowning.

“For one, I don’t think it’s the best idea to keep them in a shoebox at the back of the linen closet forever, and are we taking them back to Starling?” she asked.

“No, we’re not taking them back to Starling; they’re ours now, so we’re getting a couple of boxes at a bank vault here and we’re bringing the rest of them here, too,” Oliver said. “The days of my mother wearing them are over,” he kissed her shoulder.

“Can we do it soon, though? I’m not comfortable having them here. It's not the most secure place in the city.”

“I’ll start looking tomorrow before the interviews, I promise. And when we’re done with that, we can start looking for a house of our own.”

“Thank you,” Felicity smiled slyly up to him and kissed his naked chest. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he said and tightened his hold on her.

The next morning, Oliver called the bank and made an appointment for the next day with the manager to see about their vault, all the while he was making breakfast for his family. They ate and then he washed the dishes while Felicity tidied up the living room. William decided that he was Thea’s little helper and helped her make all their beds, which was the cutest thing ever, even if took more time than it should have.

They had arranged for six people that day, to interview, but the first four didn’t impress anyone. Bu number fifth was promising, it was the only woman of the group and she was ex-special forces. Her credentials were impressive and they both liked her. The interview was going so well, that they lost track of time and candidate number six arrived before they were done.

“Oh, hello, you must be Mr. Diggle, right?” Felicity opened the door.

“Yes, ma’am. John Diggle. I’m here for the bodyguard post,” the man nodded politely.

“Come in,” she stepped aside, “we’re not done with the previous interview, so why don’t we go to the kitchen for a cup of coffee?”

“Of course,” he nodded and followed her into the kitchen.

“Have a seat,” Felicity said reaching for the coffee pot. “How do you take your coffee?”

“Black, thank you.”

“So, do you know what we’re looking for?” She asked preparing his mug.

“You’re looking for security, you need someone with you at various outings and for your home. From what I understood, you’re moving soon?” he accepted the mug. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Yes, we are. We’re looking for two people for our security. My husband is very particular about it, and I can’t fault him. But he grew up with security personnel and stuff, it’s all new to me,” she said sitting down across from him.

“I understand how it can be overwhelming, but your safety is a priority,” he nodded.

“I’m Felicity, by the way. I’m pretty sure I forgot to introduce myself.”

“That’s fine, don’t worry.”

“So, tell me, Mr. Diggle, do you like kids? I’m sorry if it’s too personal, but it’s important to ask you.”

“I like kids. I don’t have any myself, yet, but I love spending time with the various niblings my wife and I have. They’re good at keeping me busy during family dinners and reunions,” he chuckled, and Felicity joined him. “I help them build forts and fix their bikes. I’m known to take part in some tea parties from time to time.”

“Oh?” Felicity laughed.

“One of my wife’s nieces, she can make you do whatever she wants. Between us, she had me wear a blonde wig once. My wife has a framed picture.”

“I bet she loves it,” Felicity outright laughed. “I’m sorry,” she bit her cheek to stop laughing. “I suppose this is where I should ask about your credentials and experience.”

“I have done three tours in Afghanistan in the special forces. I was honorably discharged as Staff Sergeant,” Mr. Diggle said and continue to talk about his training and experience.

“That’s impressive,” she sat back on her chair.

“Thank you,” he said proudly.

“It’s true,” she shrugged. “Would you excuse me for a moment?”

“Of course,” he nodded.

Felicity went back to the living room and went to her husband. “Would you excuse us for a moment, Ms. Michaels?”

“Of course,” the older woman said politely.

She took Oliver aside and told him about Mr. Diggle. “I also think they might know each other, they served at the same time and place for two tours. And I mean, we have pretty much decided to hire her, and I think we should hire him, too. I feel we can trust them.”

“Okay,” he nodded. “I’m impressed with Ms. Michaels and if you think we should hire Mr. Diggle, then let’s do it.”

“Great, I’ll go tell him to join us in the living room,” Felicity said and gave him a quick kiss before going back to the kitchen and returning with Mr. Diggle.

“This is my husband, Oliver Queen. Oliver, this is John Diggle,” she introduced them.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Diggle.”

“You as well, Mr. Queen,” they shook hands.

“And this is-“

“Lyla,” Mr. Diggle said.

“Johnny,” she said evenly.

“Oh, you do know each other,” Felicity grinned. She had been right.

“We’re married actually,” Ms. Michaels said.

“Oh, that’s amazing!”

“Why don’t we have a seat and iron out the details?” Oliver chuckled at his wife’s enthusiasm.

They did. They sat in the living room, and they explained what was going on and what they were looking at to do their jobs.

“It sounds straightforward,” Mr. Diggle said.

“I have a question,” Ms. Michaels said. “You asked me about kids and specifically toddlers.”

Oliver and Felicity looked at each other, having a silent conversation, and then Oliver went to fetch William. And of course, Thea followed.

“This is our son, William,” Oliver introduced the little boy in his arms.

“Can you say ‘hi’, Will?” Felicity coaxed gently.

“Hi,” he said shyly and hid his face in on his father’s shoulder.

“Hello, William, I’m John and this is Lyla,” Mr. Diggle smiled at the little boy.

“It’s very nice to meet you, William,” Ms. Michaels said gently.

“He’s a little shy, but he’ll warm up to you soon,” Oliver said. “And this is my sister, Thea. She’ll be under your duties when she’s in town.”

“Hello,” she said politely. And then they sat down again and explained about their upcoming trip to Starling City. It took a good hour to explain everything to them about what had happened what was going to happen and what their goals were for that trip. And of course, they told them about Oliver’s interview. Thea’s commentary was vital to their explanation, of course.

Little William had warmed up to them a little, as well. He would walk shyly up to them, they would pretend they didn’t notice him and then he would touch their knee and ran back to his mamma, giggling.

When everything was said and done, and the contracts and the confidentiality agreements were signed, The Diggles bid them goodbye. They were starting the following morning.

“So, I was talking with Klaus and I told him we’re going shopping and he offered, a little too eagerly, to watch Will,” Thea said.

“Brilliant! I was worried he’d get cranky after too much shopping,” Felicity said.

“Sometimes I think they only like us because of our kid,” Oliver said.

“Oh, good, I thought it was just me,” Felicity laughed. “So, what should we expect from our little shopping trip.”

“It won’t be little, for starters,” Thea smirked. “Ollie you should send your wedding tux and your graduation suit to the dry cleaners so that we can take them with us at Starling. You never know what might come up.”

“We can drop them off on our way to Klaus’s. I’ll take the suit from Damon and Lexi’s wife, I’m pretty sure I dropped wine on it on the reception.”

“I had forgotten about that, but a good idea. Let’s do that and then I have found a boutique that sells exclusively suits and shirts and accessories for them. So, I was thinking about going there first and then we can explore and let the flow guide us.”

“Sounds like a plan. Did Klaus say what time to drop William off?” Felicity asked.

‘He’s working from home today, so whenever we want, but to give him a call when we go in the car.”

“I’ll prepare his bag, then. Hon, can you get him some books and toys to take with him?” She looked lovingly at her husband.

“I can,” he gave her a peck on the lips.

“And I’m going to put his shoes on before I claw my eyes out,” she said teasingly.

And so, they did. They took William to Uncle Klaus and then they dropped off the suits at the dry cleaners. Then, they went shopping. They started with Oliver’s suits; they got him one black tux, one black suit, one grey suit, and two blue. They got him several shirts and some sets of cufflinks, a couple of belts, a couple of bowties, and several ties. And suspenders. Everything that needed tailoring would be ready in a week, just before they were to leave Starling.

Next, they got him three pairs of shoes, one black and one navy briefcase, a new wallet, and a cardholder (he was going to need that soon). Oliver also got a nice watch to complete his businessman look.

They turned to Felicity next, who ended up with several new skirts, shirts and dresses, shoes, and other accessories. Some new makeup, too. Thea went wild.

They stopped for lunch at a nice bistro to catch their breath and get some food into them. Then they went to a few shops and shopped for William; they got him winter clothes and some new books. Felicity also discovered a store that carried wooden toys and left with a couple of bags from there, too. Felicity and Oliver also got Thea a pair of sunglasses and a cross-body-bag she was eyeing. She was ecstatic.

“We spent so much money today,” Felicity groaned taking her shoes off.

“Sweetheart, we didn’t even make a tiny dent into our accounts,” Oliver said gently sitting next to her.

“I know, but this is all new to me. I grew up, well, I had a hard childhood since my father left, and then ever since I got a job at fourteen, I have been saving money for something; at first for college and then for William. I think it will take some time to get used to it.”

“We don’t have to live like the one-percenters. I don’t want to. I know how it is and it’s all hollow and fake. I don’t think we need a mansion with 113 rooms or nine cars.”

“Why would we need 113 rooms?” Felicity raised her eyebrows.

“The Queen Mansion has 113 rooms in the main building. Other than pointless, it’s also stupid expensive to maintain. Believe, rich people spent money on useless things. I don’t want to live like that. However, we can get a comfortable home, in a safe neighborhood and safe and comfortable cars,” Oliver reasoned.

“But not a dozen of them,” Felicity said.

“No,” he chuckled. “Come on, Thea is feeding William, so we have plenty of time for a shower.”

“I love the way you think,” she kissed him slowly and then got up and went to the bathroom with Oliver trailing after her.

“Thea, you have an IG account, right?” Oliver asked his sister during dinner later that day.

“I do,” she nodded. “And it’s pretty successful, too. I have a gazillion followers, many of whom are reporters etc. Why?”

“Felicity and I were talking, and we think that maybe it would be a good idea for you to post some photos.”

“What kind of photos?” Thea asked.

“Of the two of you, the two of us, you and me and us separately,” Felicity replied. “No William, obviously, or photos that obviously are from our wedding, though.”

“I think it’s a good idea,” the brunette nodded. “Maybe we should ask Diane’s opinion as well, but I think it would be smart; this way Oliver won’t resurface out of the blue and there will be some buzz. Not to mention that it will create problems for Moira and Robert,” she grinned.

“So, you’ll do it?”

“Duh! I’m more than happy to do it! I’m going to enjoy this so much! Let me shoot a text at Diane and I’m all yours!” she darted from the table and to her room. She never had her phone with her when they were all together. She came back a few moments later with her phone, probably waiting for a reply from the older woman. “So, do you have any ideas about what photos and with what order?”

“Uh, do you have anything specific in mind?” Felicity asked her.

“I have some amazing pictures of the two of you that I’m dying to show off. For example, I have one of the two of you at Damon and Lexi’s wedding that’s very cute, I have a very cute one from here with you kissing, I have one of the two of you at Klaus and Caroline’s balcony being all sweet and couple-y. and then I have a few of myself with each of you and you alone,” she explained. “I think I’ll start with a photo of Oliver alone and then I’ll introduce you, Felicity, and then the day before we fly to Starling, I’ll start posting the two of you. Does that sound good?”

“Yes, it does.”

“Good, I’ll wait to hear from Diane, and then I’ll post the first picture!” she grinned. “This is going to be amazing.”

Her phone dinged with a reply from Diane before she could properly finish her sentence. Diane loved the idea and she wanted to be kept up to date with the behind-the-scenes part.

So, after they had finished eating, Thea searched through her picture on her phone until she found [the one](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124893736179/), she was posting first. They had talked about what Thea was going to write underneath and agreed to something with Diane’s input, of course.

_You two are couples’ goals, but it can get sickeningly sweet… #bestbigbrotherever #havingthetimeofmylife #stopstaringollie #Imstealingyourfries #Massachusetts #and #no #it’s #not #laurel #fortheloveofgod #thatsancienthistory #getoverit_

Thea made her post and then turned her notifications off. She knew people were going to go wild and she also knew her phone wouldn’t stop for a moment for the foreseeable future.

And she was right; people went wild.

Tommy called the next morning to tell them what a frenzy they had created. That post made breaking news everywhere in Starling. The tabloids were having a field day, and everyone was wondering why Oliver and Thea were in MA when Oliver was supposed to be in Europe. And also, they were wondering who he was staring at with such love in his eyes. Plus, since Thea had made it abundantly clear that the mystery woman wasn’t Laurel and evidently it had never been, at least the last four and a half years, a) who was she and b) why Laurel had been lying.

“And also, your mother called me,” he said tightly. “She read me the riot act and then she demanded to know everything I know. I told her to call you herself if she was truly interested in your life and well-being.”

“Thanks, Tommy. What did she say?”

“She hung up,” Tommy shrugged. “I half expect her to storm in my office. Diane laughed her ass off when I told her.”

Thea would have been sympathetic, she really would have, if she wasn’t laughing her ass off, too. “I... wish… I… could… have… seen… her… face!” she laughed uncontrollably. “Karma is a bitch and mother dearest has no idea what’s coming!”

“I read through the comments on the post and I swear if see one more about how cute and handsome and gorgeous you are Ollie, I’ll punch you,” his best friend said half-seriously.

“You’re jealous they like me better,” he smirked.

“Whatever,” he rolled his eyes. “Oh, shit, Moira is here, I have to go, I think she’ll eat my EA alive. Do you want to witness the show?”

“Yes, please!” Thea exclaimed.

“I’ll mute you. If she murders me tell Diane I love her and that I leave everything to her,” Tommy said theatrically and muted them.

_“Thomas”_

“Mrs. Queen, to what do I owe the pleasure?” he said charmingly.

_“You know exactly why I’m here, Thomas. What is going on? What does Thea mean and why would she post something like that?”_

“Because it’s true for one. Thea stole his fries, and he was staring. He is not in Europe and he is not with Laurel. Plus, Thea enjoys herself immensely over in Boston. What is that you have a problem with?” Tommy asked crossing his arms on his chest.

_“Why now? He hasn’t shown his face in over four years!”_

“He didn’t show his face on his own accord. Thea showed his face and as you know, you can’t say no to Thea. I still don’t understand why you’re so upset. What is it that you’re afraid of?” he asked. “You don’t want people to know what you did? Maybe you should have thought of that four years ago. Do you want him with Laurel? A huge mistake in everyone’s opinion. They were like poison for each other. I don’t understand why you think Oliver would come back in Starling begging for your forgiveness or whatever and that he would get back with Laurel. I know you think she’ll sway him and have him do what you want, but let me tell you something, Mrs. Queen; you’re so mistaken, it’s not even funny. Oliver is a new man. And he is happy. I have never seen Oliver happier than he is now. And if you truly care for your son, maybe you should call him and ask him how he is! If he decides to pick up after four years!” Tommy ranted. He was fed up with all the bullshit from Moira and Robert. It was about time someone told them.

_“I… Who is she he’s staring at?” she demanded._

“That’s none of your business.”

_“Of course, it is! How do I know she is not some gold-digger after the Queen Fortune?”_

Tommy laughed. He couldn’t help it. He just laughed. He knew without looking that Felicity was offended and that Oliver was angry while Thea was probably protesting.

“You cut him off. You made it abundantly clear that he was not your son anymore and now you’re worried about his partner? That’s a little late, don’t you think?”

_“Well, no. look at you; you’re working at your family’s company, why not Oliver, too? Laurel wants the same.”_

“First of all, Oliver and his partner convinced me to work at MGG. Second, I don’t care what Laurel wants and neither does Oliver. Oliver doesn’t want Laurel. He was never happy with her. Why can’t you understand and respect that? Why?” he asked exasperated.

_“I’m his mother, I know what’s best for him.”_

“No, you don’t, Mrs. Queen. You don’t know him. You don’t. Do know what Oliver is doing right now, Mrs. Queen?”

_“I suppose he’s looking for the next party or club he’ll attend.”_

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Let’s go with that,” Tommy shook his head disappointed at her. “I never thought I’d be so disappointed in you, Mrs. Queen,” Tommy said and returned to his chair. “You can find your way out, I’m sure,” he said ending the conversation. “Or I can call security.”

Moira glared at him and then she left. Tommy turned to his computer and his family in Boston.

“Is there any way we can get me emancipated?” Thea huffed.

“I don’t think so, kid,” Tommy shook his head. “Just over two years and then you’ll be 18,” he tried to assure her. “Are you okay, Ollie? Maybe I shouldn’t have let you witness that.”

“I’m fine, Tommy. It’s nothing I didn’t know already,” Oliver said with a heavy sight.

“It’s so sad and frustrating to see a mother doing that to her kid,” Felicity said sadly. “I’m going to go, and hug Will,” she pecked Oliver on the lips and went off frame to where William was playing with his toys.

“I’m going to hold no prisoners. By the time I’m done, my parents will have nowhere to hide,” Thea said determinedly.

“As long as you don’t piss them off too much. We don’t want them to forbid you from going to Boston,” Tommy advised.

“They won’t because if they do that, I will sell a copy of their prenup to the highest bidder. Not to mention all the other dirty little secrets I know about them. And I’m going to find out more when I get back. I’m going to destroy them if they so much as think about keeping me from my family.”

“We love you, too, Thea,” Oliver hugged his sister and kissed her head. 


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for Sahara the dog! I'm so sorry I'm keeping your human from petting you!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been fighting myself because I've wanted to update since my last post! I'm super excited and I can barely stop myself! I had to recruit the help of my best friend! Thanks, Eva! Soooo, here you go! I hope you like the chapter! As always, let me know what you think and say safe!
> 
> P.S. Pet your dogs!

Oliver and Felicity did their best to make sure that Thea enjoyed her last days in Boston for this trip. They went out for dinner here and there and whenever they could they saw their friends. They had a movie night that turned into a board game night that turned out to be _competitive._ Blood was almost spilled. Felicity hid behind Oliver at a particularly heated moment.

The teen had made sure to exchange numbers with Mr. Diggle and Ms. Michaels, so that could get in contact with them if need be, and to let her know if there was an interesting event that took place to let her know. And for photos. She was particular about that. The two of them were more than happy to assist her. Mr. Diggle was very amused.

During the next few days, Thea also stepped up her Instagram Campaign. It was time for a little revenge against her parents.

([Photo](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898531522/)) _Enjoying the last peaceful days! #best #brother #ever #he #got #me #icecream_ _🍦🍦🍦 #back #to #Starling #soon_ _😪😪😪 #I #like #it #better #here #family #by #choice_

([Photo](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898531521/)) (this one was from the day William was born, but no one was going to find that out!)

_Throwback two years, I can’t remember seeing you so relaxed like that before #family #by #choice #greatmemories #specialdays_

([Photo](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898531454/)) _Aren’t you the best groomsman? From our friends’ wedding last year. The cake was amazing! I think I ate a whole tier on my own… I vividly remember some of Damon’s aunts hitting on you! Lmao_ _🤣🤣🤣🤣 #groomsman #friends #turned #family #awesome #cake #greatmemories_

([Photo](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124894131474/)) _He is on our case not to eat junk food but the last time we were at BBB he had two milkshakes… That’s not healthy eating, bro. That’s junk food. Just saying_ _🥤🍔🍟 #BBB #junkfood #it’s #so #good #yet #so #bad #milkshakes_

([Photo](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124893736056/)) _I can’t believe we convinced you to order pizza! But see? I’m eating yogurt, too. That’s healthy!_ _😜😜😜😜 #pizza #pizzanight #family #by #choice #yoghurt #it’s #good #for #you_

([Photo](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/783204191427903224/)) _Brunch with the girls! We should do that more often. Tell Oliver I ate all my veggies!_ _🥞🥞☕☕🍌🍌🍒🍒 #brunch #girlsday #pancakes #allthepancakes #and #coffee #yes #please_

([Photo](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124893735937/)) _I’m having the time of my life! And I can’t wait for next year! #sister #from #another #mister #I #have #adopted #her #it’s #final_ _❤❤❤❤❤❤_

([Photo](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124893736093/)) _My gorgeous sister from another mister. It’s not just Oliver who’s staring lovingly. She does it, too. And I’m wearing a matching dress. From our friends’ wedding. #best #brideasmaids #ever #they’re #so #cute #it’s #ridiculous #friends #turned #family #great #memories_ _💃💃💃_

([Photo](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124893736448/)) _I think I’ll keep you on guessing lmao_ _🤣🤣 We should make the boys pose for us next time Tommy is in town. That’ll be fun_ _😈😈 #sister #please #make #them #do #it_

Of course, she left the best for last.

([Photo](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898531367/)) _It was supposed to be a nice movie night at our friends’ house, Ollie! Stop making kissing faces and come inside you two! Or else I’m eating your ice cream! I’m serious! #movienight #friendsforlife #family #by #choice #icecream #flying #back #tomorrow #Iwillmissyouall #no #icecream #for #Oliver #I #ate #it #all_ _🍦🍦✈✈🎞🎞🍿🍿_

People had been going crazy over her posts in the last few days. The tabloids were posting one article after another regarding her posts and speculating about the mysterious blonde woman. They bombarded everyone with questions. Her mother had called her demanding answers, but tough luck. She pretty much repeated what Tommy had said to her mother. She wasn’t thrilled but Thea didn’t care. Everything was going to be revealed in less than two days and she was going to be there to witness it. she was hyper-excited about it.

In the meantime, the newlyweds had gotten a big deposit box at the bank vault and they had finally moved the jewelry Felicity wore at the wedding there. That was a huge relief for the blonde.

Oliver had arranged for a private jet so that all of them could fly back to Starling, Thea, Felicity, Oliver, William, Mr. Diggle, and Ms. Michaels. The evening before, they had left Oliver with William, while he was going over the details of their trip with their bodyguards, while Thea and Felicity packed everyone’s clothes. Thea spent that time advising Felicity on how to handle the people she was bound to meet from Oliver’s old life, including their parents.

“I’m excited and nervous and I’m dreading the confrontation all at once,” Felicity said with a sigh.

“I’m excited and I can’t wait to see my parents’ faces when they read the interview,” Thea said. “Where are you staying?”

“Starling Palace, we got a suite with three bedrooms,” her sister in the law replied.

“Good, they’re very strict with their security,” the teen nodded.

“It’s why we chose it. Tommy insisted on staying with them, but we didn’t want to impose.”

“You wouldn’t but I understand.”

“Yeah, we have to see about getting another car, I don’t know where we’ll fit all those suitcases.”

“The Diggles are coming over with their car and when we get back home, other than looking for a house, we’re also looking for cars,” Oliver said from the doorway. “I just put William down, he fell asleep on me.”

“oh, that cutie pie!” Thea squealed. “I’ll miss him. And I’ll miss you two and the others, too.”

“We’ll miss you, too, Speedy, but who knows what will happen now that I have my trust,” her brother winked.

“Something like impromptu trips to see your favorite sister?” she asked eagerly.

“Maybe,” he winked cheekily.

The next morning, they got up at an ungodly hour to get ready and close the house. They let William sleep until the last possible moment; the last thing they needed was a grumpy toddler at a six-hour flight. Thea was half asleep the entire time and until they boarded the plane when she fell asleep completely. She was dead to the world for three hours. The only reason she woke up was that William was poking her eyes with his little fingers.

“Will,” she groaned, but she scooped him up for some cuddles with her favorite nephew.

“If I was the one poking her eyes and waking her up, she’d stab me with a fork,” Oliver huffed amused.

“You’re not her favorite nephew,” Felicity chuckled.

“I have to admit I’m not that cute and adorable,” her husband shrugged.

“Honey, you are cute and adorable, but our son is on another level,” his wife patted him on the arm. “But I love you anyway.”

Oliver smirked and pulled her over his lap and kissed her. “I love you, too.”

“Ah, young love,” Lyla sing sang.

“Are you calling me old?” her husband raised an eyebrow playfully.

“Would I ever do that?”

“Yes, you would,” he shook his head trying to contain his smile and failing spectacularly.

“Tom-Tom?” William asked looking at his Aunt.

“Yes, Will, we’re going to see Uncle Tom-Tom today, and Aunt Diane,” His mamma said.

“I sure hope that doesn’t mean you like him more than you like me, William Alexander,” Thea tried to be stern and firm, but the smile on Will’s face could melt even the iceberg that sunk the Titanic. Thea sighed and kissed his cheek, adjusting him in her arms.

“We’re all so whipped, aren’t we?” Felicity wondered out loud.

“Yes, yes, we are,” her husband said and then kissed her shoulder.

“So, what’s the plan once we arrive?” Thea asked.

“We’re going to the hotel to check-in and leave our things and then we’re meeting Diane and Tommy for lunch at their place. Tommy will drop you off at the Mansion after it. and tonight, they are babysitting, and Felicity and I have a date at Russo’s.” her brother said.

“What are you doing tomorrow, kiddo?” Felicity asked.

“I’m seeing Leonard for lunch and then we’re meeting with some friends from school for coffee and we might catch a movie, too. And then I have to prepare for the big day! what about you?”

“Well, we were thinking about going to the beach in the morning and then having dinner at the hotel,” Oliver said. “We want to avoid crowds until I show up at QC.”

“Which is smart. But I demand a constant supply of photos of little berry,” she said firmly.

“Well, duh,” Felicity said. “We don’t want you coming after us with a mob of angry villagers.”

“That’s an interesting idea for the future,” she said thoughtfully.

“Please don’t give her ideas, she has enough on her own,” Oliver looked at his wife desperately.

“Oops,” she bit her lip.

They arrived in Starling a few hours later. Two SUVs were waiting for them and one had a car seat for William. They drove to the hotel and they checked in. they went up to the suite where they stayed for an hour to freshen up, before leaving to go to Tommy and Diane’s apartment. Mr. Diggle and Ms. Michaels dropped them off and left, waiting for them to call to return to the hotel and drop Thea off at the Mansion.

“William!” Tommy exclaimed when he opened the door and snatched his godson from Oliver. He turned and waved them in.

“Tom-Tom!” the little boy exclaimed happily.

“I feel so loved right now,” Thea said dramatically.

“Thomas!” Diane rolled her eyes.

“What?” he stopped and turned to her.

“We have other guests, too, you know,” she raised an eyebrow.

“I waved them in?” he said weakly.

“For the love of God,” she shook her head. “Welcome to our house and please, excuse my idiot of a boyfriend,” she greeted them and hugged them one by one.

“It’s so good to see you, Diane,” Felicity hugged her. “Don’t worry, we don’t hold him against you.”

“Unfortunately, we have plenty of experience with Tommy,” Thea hugged her next.

“I think I need a new best friend,” Oliver said pointedly.

“Hey!” Tommy complained.

“Oh, you remember us?” Thea rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, and I don’t like you very much right now. Come on, Will let’s go see your toys.”

“What toys?” Felicity asked confused.

“We may have found a toy store that has wooden and sustainable educational books and toys, and we may have gone a little overboard,” Diane said. “Just a tad. Tommy wanted to buy a wall climbing system, but I vetoed him.”

“That’s a good idea,” Oliver pondered.

“Uh, no, nope, we’re not doing that. What if he falls and breaks a leg or something?!” Felicity’s eyes widened.

“If we do it, we’ll not make it high and we will get those protective things for the floor, hon. I promise,” Oliver assured her. “Good idea, Tommy.”

“Thanks. Come on, Will, let’s go see what Uncle Tom-Tom and Aunt Diane got. We’ll see you later,” he threw over his shoulder as he took a giggling boy to the second bedroom.

“Have a seat, make yourselves at home. Can I get you anything?” Diane offered.

They had a good time with Diane, while Tommy was having the time of his life with William. They were paling with wooden building blocks and a variety of toddler safe musical instruments. The xylophone was a big hit.

Diane had made some light Greek dishes for them and they were all excited. Oliver had said that he was going to research Greek cuisine and try his hand at it. Felicity certainly appreciated it.

“Hey, maybe we can all go to Greek, after Thea turns 18, of course,” Tommy suggested over his stuffed zucchini flowers.

“Oh, can we?” Thea turned to her brother.

“Sure, Thea. I want to go, too, and I guess Diane, too, so we’ll make the boys take us,” Felicity winked teasingly at them.

“Or you can just ask. I don’t think neither Ollie nor I can say no to you, to any of you,” Tommy said. “Pass me the feta, babe?”

“Yes, sweetie,” Diane passed him the plate with the feta, but she got a piece for herself first.

The next day and a half dragged by for Thea. The time she was with Leonard was so much better, but still, Thea could barely standstill by the night of August 31st. She had a confrontation with her parents about her Instagram posts and about who that mystery woman was and was she calling her a sister. Thea enjoyed shutting them down and repeating Tommy’s words; If you suddenly decided to be interested in Oliver’s life call him.

She Face-Timed Oliver and Felicity to go through their outfits for the next day. Oliver was going to QC and Felicity had a meeting at MGG. She also read a story to William before she bid them goodnight.

Sleep was elusive that night; various scenarios ran through her head of how things could play out the following day. She had set three alarms to wake up the following morning early enough to get down for breakfast before her parents.

It was going to be epic.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lockdown Vol. 2 Day 9.   
> So, I tried waiting. I really did, but, I'm impatient and I want to give you the chapter and I want you to tell me what you think! I can't help myself. So, I have been waiting for this chapter for a long time, for me to write it and for you to read it. It's a tricky chapter because I have high expectations and you do as well, and I don't want to let you down, so it took a long time to complete it. I've written and re-written it a few times to get it just perfect. I hope it lives up to your expectations. Please, please, let me know what you think, and stay safe!

Her nervous energy woke Thea before any of her alarms went off. She got up and showered quickly. She got [dressed](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/Ae4jZ40CCilwbyIHEHUPOdZs7lsSMStcabg87EuxdkRZNpuyLjKhcxA/) and went downstairs for breakfast.

“Good morning, Raisa,” she greeted the housekeeper who was setting the table.

“Good morning, Miss Thea. You’re up early today,” she noted with a smile.

“It’s a big day today, Raisa,” she said with a huge grin and sat down. She made her plate and her coffee and grabbed her phone. She googled her brother’s name and sure enough, the first result was his newly published interview. If possible, her grin grew.

She shot a quick text to Oliver wishing him the best of luck and then read the interview once again, to pass her time until her parents came down. Oliver had given her the final draft of the interview while they were still in Boston and she thought it was brilliant.

She also texted Felicity, Tommy, Diane, Klaus, Lexi, Damon, and Caroline. She was excited and she could barely contain herself.

“Thea, you’re up early,” her father said surprised when he came down, followed by her mother.

“I’m coming with you to QC,” she said.

“Why is that?” her mother asked equally surprised.

“So, I can tell Tommy that I was at the office today. Plus, I want to see what new there is at the company,” she said looking at her phone.

Her parents sat down, and Raisa returned with their coffees and the day's newspapers. When she saw Starling Ledger on top, the paper that bought the interview from Diane, she looked at the older woman, who just winked at her. Good old Raisa, Thea thought fondly. She always had a soft spot for Oliver.

Her father reached for the first newspaper as he did every morning and when he unfolded it and read the headline he froze.

 _The ball is rolling,_ Thea texted their group chat.

Robert Queen lost his color and frantically turned to the page of the interview. Her mother, none the wiser, was looking for something on her phone and didn’t realize what was happening at first.

It was amusing to watch her father reading Oliver’s interview; his face changed into every color of the rainbow.

“ _What is this?_ ” he demanded red in the face.

“What is it, Robert?” Moira turned to him.

“Oh, you read Oliver’s interview?” Thea said casually.

“You knew about this?” her father demanded.

“Knew what?” Moira took the newspaper and started reading. She went deathly white a minute or so later, and Thea guessed that she read about Oliver being a dad. Her eyes skimmed through the interview; she was reading the questions and the answers to those that she thought of critical importance. She did not doubt that she’d read the whole thing later.

“Did you know?” she demanded.

“Know what? You have to be more specific. I know _a lot_ of things,” he took a sip of her coffee.

“This!” she raised the newspaper. “What is this nonsense about him having a child and getting married! Oliver dropped out of three colleges there is no way he managed to graduate!”

“You’re wrong. You’re so very wrong, it’s not even funny,” Thea looked them both in the eyes.

“Enlighten us then!”

“You know mother, maybe you should call your son and ask him yourself. Have you thought about that? I mean if you care if he’s still breathing,” he said looking at her phone. She was texting the others.

_They read it. trying to interrogate me. Going to be interesting._

“What do you know, Thea?!” her father demanded.

“I know everything. Every little thing. Which is so dangerous for you, because you have no idea of the extend of my knowledge,” she smirked.

“He can’t have graduated, Tommy has probably been giving him money to cover his expenses,” Moira reasoned.

“Oh, boy,” Thea laughed. “You have no idea how wrong you are. Oliver did graduate, I was there. We have photos and videos and a freaking diploma to prove it.”

“And why didn’t he tell us? We told him to contact us when he got his degree,” Robert said.

“Yeah, ‘cause that was happening. What did you expect? An e-mail? A phone call?” she titled her head. _“Hey, dad. Remember when you told me I wasn’t your son until I got my MBA? So, I got it? Can I please come home now?_ That’s what you thought was going to happen?”

“But the alternative of him working at a bar is better?”

“He stopped working at the bar a few weeks ago,” she informed them. Technically one and a half months were a few weeks.

“Is he planning on coming back here?”

“Permanently, no.”

“And what is he going to do?” her mother demanded.

“Call him and ask him. If he decides to pick up the phone, of course.”

“What about that kid?” Robert said.

“I suggest you choose your next words _very_ carefully, father _dearest_ ,” Thea gave him her best glare. William was off-limits and if he said anything stupid, Thea was telling the tabloids he’s slept with half of QC’s female population.

“You know about the child?” Moira asked.

“Obviously,” Thea rolled her eyes.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“And why should I?” she raised an eyebrow. “You wanted nothing to do with my brother, _your son_ , ergo you have no right to know about my nephew. As Oliver said, you’ve made your choices.”

“What about the woman? Felicity?”

“What about Felicity?” she sighed irritated. “She’s the best thing that has happened to Oliver, her, and their son. Now, eat your breakfast, we have to leave soon. Don’t you have a board meeting or something?”

“We do,” Robert sighed. “But this isn’t over. We will continue this discussion later.”

“Uh-huh,” she finished her eggs and then ran up to her room to grab her things and found Robert, her bodyguard, on the way.

“Rob, we’re going to QC this morning. When we get there, I need you to pay attention to what I say. When I say Kaboom, I need you to pull your phone out and record my parents’ reaction to what will happen after that. Can you do that?” she said in a rush.

“Uh, sure, Miss Queen,” the man said confused.

“Don’t worry you’ll understand when it happens.”

“Does it have anything to do with your brother’s interview?” he asked trying not to grin.

“It has everything to do with it, Rob and it’s going to be so entertaining!”

Thea took a different car than her parents to QC and she even arrived a couple of minutes before them, though she waited at the entrance for their arrival. The reporters had already camped outside on the steps and QC security was already on alert.

She spent the entire ride texting with everyone. Tommy was a breath away from driving to QC instead of Merlyn Global and Diane was so excited that her interview had gone viral. Felicity was understandably nervous about how things were going to go and so was Oliver. They had dropped William off with Diane and then Ms. Michaels and Felicity left for MGG and Oliver for QC.

In Boston, their friends were buzzing with nervous energy. Lexi and Caroline even more so since they would have to wait until their shift was over to learn what had happened because they couldn’t be on their phones. They had patients to treat.

“I’ll give you the heads up as soon as we get into the elevator, Ollie,” Thea spoke to her brother on the phone quietly. “There are reporters outside already, so yes, Mr. Diggle should accompany you. Yeah, they tried, that doesn’t mean I told them anything. I knew how to keep a secret, but I did give them a small piece of my mind. Tommy had the right idea what he said to mother. I told them again if they’re interested in you, they should call you. I see their car. See you, soon,” she said and hung up just as her parents got off the car were swarmed by the reporters for a total of three seconds before the security got them inside.

“Be ready, Rob.”

“Yes, Miss Queen.”

Her parents reached them and without much fanfare, they got into the elevator. Thea shot a quick text to Oliver and pocketed her phone.

“W should get the PR team up here after the meeting,” Robert said as they exited the elevator.

“God knows how we’re going to get on top of this,” Moira sighed.

 _If only they knew,_ Thea thought.

“Good morning, Mr. Steele,” Thea greeted the CFO.

“Thea! What a nice surprise!” the man said merrily. Thea always liked him. He was honest.

“The day is full of surprises, isn’t it?” Thea grinned.

“Ah, yes. I read Oliver’s interview. I suppose you know something about it?” he asked teasingly.

“I know all about it,” she whispered in a conspirative manner, making the man chuckle.

“Walter, good morning. Are the reports ready?” Robert asked. “I see most of the Board is here.”

“Yes, they are,” Mr. Steele handed him a folder and his father spent the next few minutes reviewing them.

“Kaboom,” Thea whispered to Rob when Oliver texted her that he was about to exit the elevator. Rob acted quickly, retrieving his phone from his pocket and eyeing the elevator bank.

The elevator dinged and they all turned their attention towards it, except for Rob who was recording the Queen parents. Oliver appeared from the doors, [dressed in a blue three-piece suit.](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/28780885107337530/) Behind him was Mr. Diggle in a grey suit.

Thea looked at her parents and she wanted to laugh. They looked like their worst nightmare had come to life and Moira Queen, Mistress of Poise and Self-Control, was openly gaping at the sight.

“Good morning,” Oliver said in his business voice.

“Morning, Ollie, Mr. Diggle,” Thea grinned widely. The tension was so thick in the air, you could cut it with a butter knife.

“Morning, Miss Queen,” Diggle winked and nodded to Rob.

“Good morning, Oliver,” Walter said, happy to see him.

“Good morning, Mr. Steele. How are you?”

“I’m fine, thank you. And yourself?” the man asked with a warm smile.

“I’m very well,” Oliver smiled.

“What are you doing here, Oliver?” his father recovered enough to ask.

“I’m here for the board meeting; now that I have graduated, I’m in control of my trust fund and 10% of QC or did you forget?” he raised an eyebrow challenging. “Or did you think I wouldn’t have learned of it?”

“Probably the second,” Thea pipped.

“We should be heading inside,” Mr. Steele interrupted. “It’s time.”

“Right,” Robert cleared his throat.

“Are you staying, Speedy?” Oliver asked.

“I’ll be here when the meeting is over,” she nodded. “Go do the boring stuff, I’m going to make some calls,” she winked, meaning she was going to call Klaus, Damon, and Diane since everyone else was working. Boring.

It had been about one and a half hours before anything interesting happened; Felicity was downstairs and needed Thea to come and get her to help her with her pass. Thea almost ran downstairs and within moments, [Felicity](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124897569115/) had her pass, and they were on their way up.

“Not that I’m not super excited you’re here, but didn’t you have meetings all morning?” Thea asked when they were inside the elevator.

“I did, but there was some sort of emergency and Mr. Merlyn had to see to it, so I had Lyla drop me off here and I sent her to Diane and Tommy’s, you know just in case someone figured out Will was there,” the blonde explained.

“Better safe than sorry,” Thea nodded understanding. They reached their floor and after greeting Diggle and Rob, Felicity sat with Thea on one of the sofas.

Thea knew that Felicity was nervous, so she did her best to distract her. “What is your opinion on bridesmaids’ dresses for the Klaroline wedding?”

“I think I would like to see something long, it will be chilly in March, plus I think it looks better when there are multiple bridesmaids,” Felicity said.

“I agree. Caroline wasn’t very keen on the short dresses, too. She’s having a party of four; the two of us, Lexi as her MOH and an old friend of hers from school, I think her name was Bonnie,” Thea said.

“Yeah, she mentioned something about it, I think they’re adding Elijah as a groomsman to even out the numbers.”

They spent the next twenty minutes or so discussing the wedding party and bridesmaids’ dresses. Those topics did wonders to keep Felicity preoccupied so that she wouldn’t concentrate on her nervousness. And then they heard the board members coming out of the conference room.

“Kaboom,” Thea said to Rob and he pulled his phone out with a soft chuckle.

Oliver was talking with Mr. Steele and he seemed to be in good spirits. That was a good sign, Thea thought. Most of the members left, but Mr. Steele and Mr. Johnson stayed behind.

“Hey, I thought you had meetings until noon?” Oliver looked at his wife with a big smile. He excused himself from the other two and walked up to her, and by now Felicity had stood up, and kissed her.

“I did, but there was some sort of emergency and Mr. Merlyn and Tommy had to see to it, so we canceled the rest of the morning.”

“So, Thea lured you here to plot?” he teased.

“We were talking about bridesmaids’ dresses, thank you very much, Ollie,” Thea rolled her eyes.

“Uh-huh.”

“When’s your wedding?” Moira asked stiffly.

“Our wedding?” Felicity frowned. “We’re already married,” she stole a glance at Oliver’s wedding ring to assure herself.

“This is Felicity Queen, my wife,” Oliver said proudly. “Felicity, these are Mr. George Johnson and Mr. Walter Steele, QC’s CFO.”

“Nice to meet you,” she smiled politely. “I actually know Mr. Steele.”

“Really? I don’t remember meeting you before,” Walter frowned deeply.

“We’ve spoken on the phone; about two years ago you were trying to recruit me for QC. Maybe the name Felicity Smoak helps?”

“Oh, you’re Felicity Smoak!” the man chuckled surprised.

“I am, well, I was. I’m Felicity Queen, now.”

“You have no idea how much Tommy gloated when she signed with MGG,” Thea smirked.

“You work for MGG?” Robert demanded.

“Right, these are Moira and Robert Queen, my parents,” Oliver stiffly.

“Nice to meet you, and yes, Mr. Queen, I am,” she said politely, yet coldly.

“We wanted you for our IT Department,” he barked.

“Yes, but his offer was way better. You offered me an entry-level position and I had to move to Starling, which was not happening, but I got a much better position at MGG and I work from home,” Felicity said professionally and turned back to Mr. Steele and Mr. Johnson.

“I suppose I’m a little late to congratulate you. Both on your marriage and your child?” Walter said. “But congratulations.”

“Thank you, Walter,” Oliver beamed.

“Oh, my wife was saying something about it, but I was in a hurry this morning. Congratulations,” Mr. Johnson said.

“Thank you,” Felicity said.

“I have to get going, but I suppose we will see you two tonight at the Board Dinner?” the man asked.

“You will,” Oliver nodded.

“Until tonight, then,” he bid them goodbye and left.

“I have to return to my office, too, but I will see you tonight, as well. It was a pleasure, Mrs. Queen.”

“My office, now!” Robert barked.

“No,” Oliver said firmly.

“Oliver, we need to talk,” his mother insisted.

“Really? About what?” he raised an eyebrow.

“About that interview you gave! Do you have any idea how much you’ve done to our image?”

“Not my problem. It’s your problem, you brought this upon yourselves. You chose to act like you never had a son and spread lies on top of it. it’s your mess, it’s time you clean up after yourselves,” he glared at his parents. “You chose that, and you know what’s the irony? That’s probably the best thing you’ve done for me. So, thank you for not wanting me. The only time you two will see me is when the board or Thea are concerned.”

“You can’t do that!”

“Watch me! And By the way, out of courtesy, I’m informing you that from today you don’t have access to my portion of Queen Jewelry. Now, I’m going to take my family out for lunch and forget I saw you,” he said and turned to Thea. “Are you coming, Speedy? We’re picking up Diane, Lyla, and little berry. Tommy is meeting us there.”

“As if I was going to miss it,” Thea rolled her eyes. “Can we go to Table Salt? I haven’t been there in forever.”

“Sure, I’ll call from the car.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, don't leave yet! Let me know how you liked the chapter!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lockdown Vol. 2 Days 11 (I think)  
> Sooooo, here's the next chapter. I should have waited because this is my second to last chapter that is complete, I'm writing chapter 23 at the moment and I need time to write it!!!! Therefore, chapter 22 will be a little later in the week, I hope. Because let's not forget about my severe lack of self-control when it comes to posting! In other news, you guys! Thirty comments, as of right now, in the last chapter! That's a record for me! Thank you so much!   
> Anyway, I'm going to go and write some more 'cause I have no faith in my ability not to post in the next couple of days. At least, it's going to be fun writing it because .... oops, sorry! No spoilers! As always, let me know what you think, and please, please, please stay safe!!!!🥰🥰🥰🥰

True to his word, Oliver called Table Salt and secured a table for them. Thea had Rob send her the videos he had recorded on the way and, of course, she texted the fam in Boston to let them know that it was done and she was going to send them the videos asap.

Felicity wanted to see the initial reaction of the Queen parents to Oliver, but she was going to wait until she was alone with Thea, because she knew this was something that bothered him, so she would wait. She didn’t let go of his hand from the moment he was close enough to her at QC, giving him as much support as she could.

“I love you,” she whispered to him in the car.

“I love you, too,” he said softly and kissed her lovingly.

“Lyla says they can meet us outside the Table Salt,” Diggle said from the front seat. Rob was driving because he knew the way better.

“Okay, let’s do that,” Oliver nodded.

“You know, by the time I left Tommy’s apartment, Will and Diane were getting ready to start their own music band,” Felicity said trying to lighten the mood.

“Maybe we should see about getting him some of those instruments, too. He enjoys playing with them a lot,” Oliver said caressing the back of her hand with his thumb.

“Once we go to the new house, after we find it, of course, and I want to get him a bike, too,” his wife nodded in agreement.

“Whatever you want sweetheart,” he kissed her cheek. “I thought you wanted puppies, though?” he teased lightly.

“Of course, I do, silly, but once we get settled and William is used to the new environment,” she rolled her eyes fondly.

“Oh, right, you said something about a garden with all of our kids playing with Thea and puppies, and us boys cooking, while you ladies are lounging,” he looked at her like she hung the moon.

“Maybe I’ll add a new stipulation,” she grinned.

“And what is that?”

“Your being shirtless,” she said slyly.

“Little sister in the car!” Thea exclaimed.

“Oh, hush, you’ve heard worse,” Felicity giggled.

“And I’m still contemplating bleaching my ears,” she said dryly.

“Well, I’ll remind you of that when-“

“Big brother in the car!” Oliver groaned.

Luckily, he didn’t have to suffer more as they reached their destination. They got off the car and found Lyla, Diane, and William, holding both of their hands, waiting for them.

“Dada!” the little boy beamed when he saw his father.

“Hey, buddy,” Oliver picked him up and hugged him tightly. “Did you have a good time with Aunt Diane?” he smiled at his boy.

“Yea!” he giggled. “We pwayed!”

“That’s great, Will! Are you ready to eat some yummy food?”

“Yum-Yum!”

They were seated immediately, and they even had a booster seat for William at one of the chairs. The hostess, who was absolutely charmed by Will, brought him a coloring book and a pack of colored pencils. William gave her his best smile.

“T’ank ‘ou!” he beamed at her.

“You are very welcome, young sir,” she said brightly.

Tommy joined them a minute later and he demanded to be filled in on everything, starting with the Queen parents reading the interview and then the videos and whatever comment Thea had. He enjoyed watching Moira and Robert’s faces, he thought it was epic. After a while, Felicity kicked Tommy under the table to get him to change the subject.

“So, Tom-Tom,” Thea grinned devilishly. “How was your morning?”

“With the exception of Felicity,” she sent her a grin, “boring. I wish I could have been at home joining Diane and William’s music band,” he sighed dramatically.

“Oh, we’re going on tour! You can come to clean up our instruments!” Diane grinned teasingly.

“Don’t I feel special?”

“Uh-huh,” she took a sip of her water.

“See, Will, they’re being mean to me,” he turned to his godson who was too busy coloring to pay attention. “E Tu, Brute?” he said causing the table to laugh.

“Let the kid color, Tommy. You’re a big boy, you can take it,” Thea said.

Tommy just sighed.

They had a good time at lunch. They teased Tommy a little more and had some amazing food. William enjoyed his coloring and ate all of his food. Thea was being bombarded by texts from her friends and classmates asking about Oliver’s interview, but she ignored every single one.

Things got tricky when it was time to leave because there was a hoard of paparazzi and reporters outside of the restaurant.

“Tommy and I can go first,” Diane offered.

“I’ll stick with Oliver and Felicity, you know, to have three bodyguards around Will,” Thea nodded towards Rob who nodded back.

“Will you take Will?” Felicity asked her husband who nodded and kissed her head, before picking up William.

“Come on, buddy,” he settled the little boy against him. “Hold on to daddy, okay?” he asked softly.

“Daddy!” the little boy beamed and wrapped his little arms around his daddy’s neck, nesting his face against Oliver’s neck.

“You’re so cute, little berry,” Tea cooed.

“Isn’t he?!” Diane squealed, wrapping an arm around Tommy.

“The cutest. He took after his favorite godfather,” Tommy smirked, but his eyes were soft.

“Let’s get going before they break down the doors,” Diggle said. “Let’s do a triangle,” he said to Rob and Lyla. “I’ll be on the front and you two get the sides.”

“Sounds good,” Rob nodded. Lyla nodded, too, but she rolled her eyes just a tiny bit.

“Let’s go get the cars until they say their goodbyes,” Lyla said, and she and her husband left to get the cars.

“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Tommy said while the ladies said their goodbyes.

The couple left first, causing small unrest to the reporters. They stopped for a minute and Tommy answered a couple of questions, without actually giving them any real answers, taking a leaf out of Thea’s book.

Lyla and Diggle returned quickly, and the three bodyguards formed a shield around the four Queens, and they left the safety of the restaurant.

“Ollie!”

“Oliver! Here! Are you really married?”

“Is that kid really yours?”

“Is she trapping you?”

“Did she force you into marriage?”

Reporters kept shouting at them ridiculous things and William tightened his hold around Oliver’s neck and his dad wrapped his arms even tighter around the two-year-old.

One of the reporters tried to get a hold of Felicity but he was an idiot and Lyla had him on his back in no time. “I’ll shove that camera up your ass next time,” she threatened.

They reached the cars and Diggle had them inside in no time. Rob and Thea took the second car with Lyla, to drop them off at the Mansion and Diggle took the rest of the Queens to the hotel after they lost the reporters that were tailing them.

“Well, that was intense,” Felicity said once they were inside the car.

“This is why I wanted bodyguards. The reporters are ruthless and were used to a certain part of me, the worst.”

“Well, I certainly know that this side of you is the best and that I love you very much.”

“I love you, too,” he kissed her cheek. “And I love you, too, buddy.” He turned to their son.

“Lov’ ‘ou!” the little boy said happily.

There were a few reporters outside of the hotel, but the hotel’s security was already on it, chasing them away, though they still managed to snatch a few photos of Oliver carrying William and holding Felicity’s hand with a dopey smile on his face, looking lovingly at his wife, with his wedding band in clear view. But they still ignored them when they started calling after Oliver and even Felicity.

Diane called them after an hour or so.

“So, I have an idea and you can totally say no,” she started.

“We’re all ears,” Felicity said. “Does it have anything to do with the mob of reporters that are hunting us?”

“Yes, it does. Maybe I can create an email address for all of them to send their questions and then in a while, I can sit down with Oliver and maybe you, too, and have another interview, much like the interview Oliver gave me,” she suggested.

“That’s a great idea, but are you sure you don’t mind?” Oliver asked. He didn’t want to cause any problems for their friend.

“I’m sure. You can even have Thea post it on her social media to spread the word.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind, though?” Felicity asked.

“Yes, I am,” Diane assured them. “I enjoyed the interview we did with Oliver and I would love to be the one doing all of your interviews, whenever you feel like it’s needed.”

“I think it’s a good idea,” Oliver sighed. “And this way we can control the information that gets out.”

“Perfect, I’ll get right on it!” Diane exclaimed.

“Is that Oliver and Felicity?” Tommy’s voice came from the other room.

“Yeah, do you need them?” Diane barely got to finish her question before a shirtless Tommy invaded their videocall.

“I’m asking out of courtesy,” he started, “But, I’m obviously spending the evening with my godson while you attend the boring people’s business dinner, right?” he raised an eyebrow.

“We were going to leave him with Lyla, actually,” Oliver said.

“But if you want to babysit, sure. Lyla and John can have some time to themselves while we’re at dinner,” Felicity added, putting her hand on her husband’s arm.

“Perfect! Can we watch Finding Nemo?” the Merlyn heir asked.

“Sure, but no candy, you don’t want him on sugar so close to his bedtime,” Felicity warned him.

“Right, no candy,” Tommy nodded.

“I’ll make sure of it,” Diane assured the two parents.

Diane created an e-mail address that was exclusively for questions for and about Oliver and then she passed it along to Thea, who posted it on her social media accounts. Diane kept a detailed record of who sent what and their email addresses, marking the duplicate questions.

They agreed to have a video interview this time; Diane would come by their hotel, and they would sit down in their suit’s living room. Thea had told them that she was going to be there, as well, and Felicity offered to help Diane with the editing and find a good program for it.

“What are you wearing for dinner?” Thea asked Felicity over the phone.

“Don’t know yet,” Felicity sighed through the phone, looking at the clothes she had brought with her. “Are you coming, too?”

“No, I’m not,” she sighed. “Truth is I have no actual reason to be there, and I thought it’s not an important enough situation to use my blackmail stash. But Leonard is coming over for pizza and movies.”

“Like that’s all you’re gonna do,” Felicity said slyly.

“Well, no,” Thea said blushing, even though Felicity couldn’t see it. “Have you made an appointment for your hair?”

“And for my makeup at the hotel’s salon, in three hours. I only have to decide on what I’m going to wear because Oliver is adamant about stopping by the vault to bring me something to wear. So, I need your help.”

“How about [the black one-shoulder dress](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/378091331215143690/)? Oliver will have more freedom in what he chooses from the vault,” Thea suggested.

“Good idea,” Felicity said and looked through the hangers in the closet and fished out the dress. She saw Oliver getting in the room from the corner of her eye.

He had shed his jacket and he had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, something which Felicity found so unbelievably sexy. He came to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He planted small kisses on the side of her neck and Felicity had to bite her cheek to keep it together. She was on the phone with his sister for the love of God. And Felicity knew exactly where this was going. William was napping and Lyla and Diggle had gone downstairs for a cup of coffee. “Hey, Thea, I’ll call you later, I have to do … this … thing,” she greeted her teeth. Oliver was kissing the sensitive spot behind her ear.

“Oh gross,” Thea whined. “Tell Oliver to call me before he goes to the vault. Bye.”

“I will. Bye,” Felicity hung up and threw the phone on the armchairs. “You’re so naughty,” she turned to face her husband.

“Uh-huh,” Oliver breathed and pulled her on him even more. Felicity wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “You have to go to the vault,” she said weakly.

“I have plenty of time,” he said and unzipped her dress.

An hour later, Oliver had just left for the vault with Diggle, after asking her to show him the dress she was wearing that night. Felicity told him to call Thea.

As for herself, Felicity had a nice shower and washed her hair, while Lyla entertained William. She dried her hair and then she joined Lyla and her son until it was time to go to the hair salon.

She decided on [a half updo](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/7810999331851012/) and a natural makeup except for her lipstick, it was [red](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/14496030038316000/). When she went back to their suite, she kicked Oliver out of their room so she could get ready without interruptions. He was going to get dressed in William’s room.

She pulled on her dress and then she found the jewelry on the dressing table. She gasped. Oliver brought back [a pair of ruby and diamond earrings](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/290411875975910866/), [a ruby and diamond ring](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124896682396/), and [a ruby bracelet](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898625179/). She marveled at them for a little bit; they were beautiful.

She put on her [shoes](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124896401046/?fbclid=IwAR1xd1npdN7eazK0XpnqV86XtvNf6Dv4lzMoEYh6jsTvQx-drMMPjBrc-E0) and sprayed on her perfume before she put on her jewelry. She put her ring that Tommy and Thea gave her on her left middle finger, so she could wear the ring Oliver brought on her right middle finger. She grabbed her clutch and put in her lipstick, her hotel card, some cash, and her phone. She almost forgot to put on her contacts.

“I’m ready,” she said walking into the living area where the rest were. Oliver was on the big sofa, reading to William.

At the sound of her voice he looked up and his eyes darkened. “You look beautiful,” he said.

“Mamma pwetty!” William giggled.

“Thank you, baby. Ready to play with Uncle Tom-Tom and Aunt Diane?” she asked her son, sending a wink at her husband. “You look hot,” she whispered.

“Tom-Tom!” the boy exclaimed.

“Are we ready?” Felicity looked at her husband.

“Yes, we are. We have to be at the restaurant in forty minutes, so we have enough time to drop Will off at Tommy’s and then go to dinner,” Oliver said.

“Let me grab my shawl and I’m ready to go,” she said and went to their bedroom and grabbed it. “Thea wants a picture of us and a picture of me before we go.”

“I’ll take them,” Lyla offered, and the blonde handed her the phone. The older woman took a picture of Felicity alone first and then Oliver joined her, wrapping an arm around his wife’s waist. Lyla snapped the second photo and then returned the phone. Felicity quickly sent them to Thea, and then they left.

_Looking amazing! I Great picks, Ollie. Felicity, you look absolutely beautiful. Have fun and good luck._


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lockdown Season 2 Day 16 (I think)  
> Hello and welcome back! I finally finished chapter 23 and you get chapter 22! I almost posted chapter 23 by accident! Now, that would have been fun! I hope this actually uploads because my laptop is having a meltdown today. So, if anything is wrong. let me know so that I can fix it. With that said, there are only a handful of chapters left in this story, and I'm sad about it. I've bonded with this one ina special way 😥. But all things must come to an end. Anyway, don't forget to leave me a comment and stay safe!

“Well, don’t you look fabulous!” Diane grinned when she opened the door for them.

“Thanks, Diane,” Felicity beamed, giving her William’s bag.

“Wow, Felicity! You look hot!” Tommy exclaimed. “And I do mean that most respectfully,” he added when Oliver raised an eyebrow.

“Thank you, Tommy,” she smiled.

“Tom-Tom!” William exclaimed from his father’s arms.

“Hey, buddy!” Tommy took his godson from his best friend.

“It’s as if we haven’t been best friends since we were in diapers,” Oliver rolled his eyes.

“You’re jealous,” Tommy said.

“Uh-huh.”

“Are you staying?” Diane asked.

“No, we have to go in a minute. I have doubles of everything in his bag and if you need anything you have all of our numbers,” Felicity said.

“Yes, we do. But nothing will happen. We’re going to have a fantastic time, while you mingle with the board of directors,” Diane assured her. “Now, kiss him goodbye and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Right,” she nodded and turned to her husband, who was watching her with a soft smile.

“It’s not the first time we leave him with his aunts and uncles, sweetheart,” he said softly.

“Well, yeah, but we’re not back home, we’re here in Starling, in a strange city, well for me and Will. You grew up here. But that worries me. You know what I mean?”

“I do and I understand it, but he will be fine,” he assured her.

“Okay,” she nodded with a soft sigh.

They kissed their boy goodbye and bid their friends goodbye. Diggle and Lyla were waiting for them in the car in front of the building.

“Ready?” Lyla asked.

“Ready,” Oliver said, holding Felicity’s hand. “I just hope we’re not the first ones at the restaurant; I don’t want to have to face my parents. My father wants to corner me,” he rolled his eyes at his father’s behavior.

Luckily, they arrived at the same time as Walter.

“Felicity, Oliver,” the man greeted them with a smile.

“Walter,” Oliver shook his hand.

“Good evening, Mr. Steele.”

“Please, it’s Walter, Felicity.”

“Walter,” she nodded.

“You look lovely. You’re a lucky man, Oliver,” he said good naturally.

“That I am, Walter,” Oliver kissed her cheek.

“Shall we?” Felicity said with a light blush.

“We shall,” they entered the restaurant, and they were shown to their table. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were already there, along with Oliver’s parents of course, along with three other couples. Walter introduced them to the Ascrofts, the Greengards, and the Linfields. Olive and Felicity were seated between Walter and Mrs. Johnson. Moira’s glare was extra heated when she realized that Felicity was wearing jewelry from the vault.

“We’re only waiting for the Parkers,” Mr. Johnson said from next to his wife.

“Have you been to Starling before, Felicity?” Mrs. Linfield asked politely.

“No, I haven’t. It’s my first time here,” she replied.

“I trust Oliver will show you our beautiful city before it’s time for you to leave?”

“Well, I have plans to take her to a few places, but we have several meetings for the next several days. It’s going to be tricky, but we have already gone to the beach, Russo’s and Table Salt.”

“Russo’s?” Mrs. Ascroft asked.

“Yes, it’s a family-owned Italian restaurant. It has the best tiramisu in the city, too,” Oliver grinned, winking at his wife.

“Howard, we’re going to Russo’s soon,” she said to her husband.

“Yes, dear,” Mr. Ascroft nodded.

“I love Italian food,” she explained to her companions.

“How is your little boy?” Mr. Johnson asked.

“He’s good,” Felicity beamed. “He was very excited to spend the evening with Uncle Tom-Tom and Aunt Di.”

“Tommy is more of a child than our son is,” Oliver chuckled. “He bought a toy store worth of toys for him. I don’t know how he fit everything in their spare bedroom.”

“How old is your boy?” Mrs. Ascroft asked.

“He just turned two a couple of months ago,” Felicity said proudly.

“Oh, I remember that age: the terrible twos,” she chuckled.

“It’s going well so far,” Oliver said. “Except for Thea and Tommy spoiling him rotten,” he joked.

“Not that Diane is any better, or any of our friends, really,” Felicity said.

“I don’t remember any of the others sending us a box almost as tall as I filled with clothes and toys before he was even born,” her husband teased.

“I take it Thea is very excited to be an aunt?” Mrs. Johnson asked.

“Beyond that. Sometimes, I think she keeps me around just for my kid,” Oliver joked.

“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true,” Walter chuckled. “Thea has a soft spot for you, Oliver.”

“Yes, honey. If it wasn’t for you, she wouldn’t even have a nephew,” Felicity giggled, making the rest of them to chuckle, well except for Moira and Robert. Felicity absently moved around her left hand and Mrs. Johnson spotted her rings.

“Oh, what beautiful rings, Felicity,” she said kindly.

“Thank you. They’re very important rings to me,” she said looking at her fingers.

“Would you mind me asking why?”

“Oliver gave me this one when I gave birth to our son, these are my wedding and engagement rings and Thea gave me this one on our wedding day for my something new,” Felicity explained the rings on her ring finger. “And Thea and Tommy gave me this ring with all of our birthstones when I gave birth. I’m the mom of our group, even if I’m the youngest after Thea.”

‘How old are you?” Mr. Greengard asked.

“I’m twenty-one.”

“And you already have two masters?” he said impressed.

“Felicity is a certified genius,” Oliver said proudly. “She got her masters in three years. She got a full scholarship to MIT when she was sixteen.”

“That’s very impressive,” Mr. Ascroft said impressed.

“Thank you,” she blushed.

“We wanted her for QC, but MGG stole her from under our noses,” Waler joked.

“Tommy still gloats about it,” Felicity chuckled.

“If you don’t mind my asking, why did you choose MGG over QC?” Mrs. Johnson asked.

“I had just given birth when I graduated, and the position at QC was entry-level and required me to move from Boston to Starling. However, I got a much better position at MGG and I work from home.”

“I see,” she nodded, “And I understand completely.”

“When was your wedding?” Mrs. Ascroft asked.

“Five weeks ago,” Oliver said.

“It was a small affair, with only our friends and family,” Felicity replied.

“That’s not true,” Moira said. “We weren’t there,” she said indicating herself and her husband.

“Let me rephrase, then,” Oliver glared, “Only our true friends and family were there.”

“Thea organized the whole thing, she had given us timetables and deadlines, too.”

“That sounds like Thea,” Walter chuckled.

“You should have seen the binder she had created for our friends’ wedding, which again she organized mostly by herself,” the blonde said. “She gets rather bossy.”

“She loves ordering us around. It doesn’t help that we all have a soft spot for her.”

“She’s a lovely young lady,” Mrs. Johnson said.

“She’s a little devil,” Oliver said deadpanned.

“You can’t deny that she’s very good at organizing things, though,” Felicity leaned towards him. “She has organized two weddings already that went through without a hitch, and granted ours was like a party, but Damon and Lexi’s wedding had two hundred guests and two very judgmental mothers. And she is already putting together Klaus and Caroline’s wedding. Plus, I’m 95% sure that she is already making plans for when Tommy decides to propose.”

“She is very good, and a big factor is that no one wants to make her mad,” he grinned. “I cannot tell you how many times she yelled at me when I was planning to propose.”

“Why would she do that?” Mrs. Greengard asked curiously.

“Because even though we had a plan, we had to order a specific onesie for our son, because I included him on the proposal, we even had it shipped to our friends’ place because I was afraid that Felicity would find it and ruin the surprise. However, I was waiting for the perfect moment, which was tricky, because babies grow like weeds. And she’d call me every day and yell at me to get on with it already.”

“And did you find it? The perfect moment? Because when I proposed I botched up completely,” Mr. Johnson chuckled.

“I realized that I didn’t care about the when, but I wanted to marry her, so I did it on a Sunday after she had come back from brunch,” Oliver chuckled. “I forgot the speech I had prepared, of course, but it worked out beautifully”

“George dropped the ring, twice,” Mrs. Johnson said looking at her husband fondly.

“I was nervous,” he sighed, “And I was trying to remember the speech I had prepared, but alas, I could only remember fragments of it, and then I said ‘Screw it, will you just marry me already?’. She said yes after she was done laughing.”

“It was memorable,” Mrs. Johnson chuckled and kissed her husband’s cheek.

“We don’t need overelaborate plans, just something honest and sweet,” Felicity said.

“I thought you liked how Klaus proposed?” Oliver frowned.

“Well, of course,” she rolled her eyes. “Our friend Klaus proposed by sending his then-girlfriend on a treasure hunt. He had each of us waiting at an important place to give her a rose and the next riddle. And then, we met at the mark and waited for her. And he proposed in front of all of us and then we celebrated by having a picnic. It was sweet and something that fits them.”

“Oh, that must have been beautiful,” Mrs. Ascroft said.

“It was. And we had to put the whole thing together in two days because Klaus wanted Thea there,” Oliver nodded.

“The Parkers are late,” Moira said suddenly.

“They’re probably arguing again,” Mrs. Linfield said. “She caught him in a compromising position with his secretary today, again.”

“The poor woman,” Mrs. Ascroft shook her head. “You know, Michael and I are having a gala next week at the Starling City Grand Hotel, you two must come!”

Oliver and Felicity looked at each other for a moment and then Oliver turned to Mrs. Ascroft, “We’d love to.”

“Oh, perfect,” she produced an invitation for it and gave it to Felicity. “We’re raising money for the Starling’s Children’s Hospital.”

The whole dinner affair was fairly pleasant. Oliver was thankful they had the other couples and that they were getting along nicely with them. After the Parkers arrived, they got into business for the most part. Mrs. Parker was visibly angry, and Felicity was sure that if the opportunity arose, she would claw her husband’s eyes out.

At least, they got to be back at the hotel at a reasonable hour and Oliver took Felicity’s dress off. With his teeth.

Thea demanded a detailed account of the previous night, the next morning. She called so early,   
that Felicity was half asleep.

Oliver and Felicity had several meetings for the next few days. Diggle accompanied Oliver and Lyla was with Felicity and William, whom they would drop off to Diane when both parents had meetings. Not that Diane minded. Not at all. She and William always had an amazing time. They would play music with William’s wooden instruments, or they would paint with watercolors, or they would do some baking, or they would dance, or they would read books. Diane enjoyed having the little kid around. Tommy was known to come home for lunch and join them.

They also had dinner at the Merlyn Mansion one night, with Mr. Merlyn, Tommy, and Diane. Tommy’s father had taken an instant liking to Felicity, and he was perplexed with Moira and Robert’s attitude towards her; she was smart, honest, responsible, and a good influence. And from what he had witnessed, an excellent mother as well.

The paparazzi had camped outside of their hotel, but they just used the back door to get out. The only pictures of them that made it public, after the frenzy of Oliver’s QC appearance, was whatever they allowed Thea to post. She made sure to post a couple with Oliver holding or playing with William, but she always covered her nephew’s face. And she wore her aunt/nephew T-shirts all the time. She was bombarded at school by her classmates and other students, asking about Oliver and his family, but she promptly told every single one of them to shut it. it was none of their business.

Thea had made it public knowledge that there was an email address people could send their questions at, and that in a few months, Oliver would release another interview answering some of them. Diane was working hard to keep up with all the emails. She already had filled several pages with questions, she just had to go through them to cross out any duplicates and then circle in yellow the offensive/idiotic ones. She was going to mark with red the questions they were keeping and then she’d write in a clean piece of paper the questions they were keeping for the actual interview.

“What are you wearing for the gala?” Thea asked her one afternoon. She had come by their hotel after school to see them and play with her nephew.

“I don’t know. I have nothing gala worthy, so we need to go shopping. I was thinking about asking Oliver if he wanted me to wear anything specific jewelry wise first, so I can match my dress,” the blonde said.

“OLLIE!” Thea yelled over her shoulder, startling William who was playing next to her. “Sorry, buddy.”

“What?” Oliver appeared at their bedroom door.

“Do you want Felicity to wear any specific jewelry at the gala? We need to know so that we can find her dress.”

“Wait, let me get my copy of the catalog,” he disappeared in the room for a few moments and came out to the living room holding the booklet and looking through it. “Babe, what gem do you want?” he asked his wife, sitting next to her.

“Well, I think we should stay away from rubies since I wore them at dinner the other night,” she said looking over his shoulder. “Oh, how about this one! It’s gorgeous,” she pointed to [a pearl and diamond necklace.](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898639246/)

“Oh, yes. Great choice and rather unique; they usually go for diamonds at those things!” Thea exclaimed.

“So, I can wear it?”

“You can wear whatever you like, Felicity,” Oliver kissed her cheek. “Just let me know which pieces you want me to get from the vault.”

“I’ll wear that one then,” she smiled. “This elite world may be foreign to me, but at least I get to wear pretty things,” she said teasingly.

“Amen sister,” Thea said pulling her phone out and sending some texts. “I’m arranging some appointments for us at a few designers I like. I have one specific in mind, but it doesn’t hurt to see a few more dresses.”

“Just tell me when and where,” Felicity leaned in her husband’s arms, flipping through the catalog.

“Hey, Speedy, do you want anything from the vault? I know mother isn’t keen on letting you wear your jewelry,” her brother asked.

“Really?” she asked with big eyes. “Can I?”

“Of course,” Oliver assured her.

“Why wouldn’t we let you?” Felicity frowned.

“Well, there is this thing around Starling’s elite; they don’t let you wear your own jewelry, it’s stupid,” she rolled her eyes. “It has to be a very special event to see girls around my age to wear family jewelry.”

“Well, good thing we’re not like Starling’s elite, then,” she winked.

It took them three days, but in the end, Felicity found a [gorgeous dress](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/267401296600565821/) and it matched perfectly with the jewelry she had chosen. It was from a young designer and it was entirely handmade. Then Thea dragged her around to find shoes. Felicity tried to convince her to postpone for another day or even wear one of the pairs she had brought from Boston, but Thea almost blew an aneurism. So, they continued their trip, and they got her not only [shoes](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898687419/) but a [clutch](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898687298/) as well.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here is the thing, this story is ending in about three chapters and I'm sad about it. I have gotten attached to it and I don't want to see it end. Thus, I don't want to write the end, while at the same time I am dying to! Talk about mixed feelings! Anyway, I think I've kept you waiting enough. So, here is the chapter and I'm going to make melomakarona with my sister and possibly my brother, too. As always, stay safe and let me know what you think!

“I can’t believe you’re leaving in three days,” Tommy said during lunch the day before the gala.

“We have to get home at some point, Tommy,” Oliver rolled his eyes.

“True, but it’s been nice having you guys around,” Diane said. “Even if it’s been a little bit crazy.”

“We’ve loved being here with you guys, too, but Starling is not home for us,” Felicity said gently. “Not to mention that Tommy has a jet, you can visit any time you want.”

“Tommy has two jets,” Oliver smirked.

“That’s true but Tommy has to be in his office five days a week,” Tommy raised an eyebrow. “Felicity works from home and Oliver,” Tommy titled his head, “what are you going to do now that you’ve graduated?”

“I’m going to build our charity foundation to help young parents and their children,” Oliver said for the first time.

“Oh wow,” Tommy blinked.

“Congratulations,” Diane said sincerely. “If there’s anything we can do to help, just ask us.”

“Thanks, Diane.”

“Somehow, I have known since you told me about William, that you were going to do something with children. I’m so proud of you, Ollie,” his best friend asked. “And as Diane said, if there is anything we can do to help, just let us know. We’ll be more than happy to help.”

“We appreciate it, and we will take you up on that offer,” Oliver grinned, but his eyes were soft.

“Have you told anyone else, yet?”

“No, you’re the first ones; Thea doesn’t even know,” Felicity said.

“Oh, yes!” Tommy exclaimed triumphantly.

“Good god,” Diane chuckled. “When are you announcing it?”

“Not yet, nothing’s ready, so it’ll be some time until we do it.”

“We want to move first before we start on that actively,” Felicity added.

“How’s that going?” Tommy asked.

“We have our eye on a few properties and we’re going to start visiting them when we get back.”

“And then we’re going to our honeymoon,” Oliver said.

“Will is still staying with us, right?” Diane asked.

“Yes, he is, but don’t tell her when, though,” the Queen man said, sending a cheeky smile to his wife.

“When are going to tell me?” Felicity whined.

“At the airport.”

Felicity groaned. “How will I know what to pack?”

“I’ll pack and If I need help, I’ll ask Thea,” her husband said.

“You’re impossible,” she said.

“But you love me anyway,” he grinned.

“I do,” she gave him a quick peck on the lips. When she pulled back, Oliver dipped his head and captured her lips in another kiss. And another.

Tommy cleared his throat. “How is it that in the three years you are together, I feel like it’s just like when you had just started dating?”

“Tommy, you were late at dinner with your father, because you two were playing doctor,” Felicity pointed out. “Oliver and I arrived twenty minutes before you did, and you were supposed to be there half an hour before us.”

“And how do you know we were playing doctor?” he narrowed his eyes dramatically.

“Thea told me,” Felicity ginned, and Diane chuckled at her boyfriend’s expression.

“How the hell did she know?” he exclaimed exasperated.

“Thea knows everything,” the other three said together.

The next day was the day of the gala, and since it was Saturday, Thea and Diane had come over to the hotel after breakfast so she and Felicity could spend the day at the hotel’s spa. Felicity had arranged a full day for them to be pampered. They got facials and a few different massage therapies and they had their nails and hair done. Thea was very strict about what they were going to eat until the gala: salads, fruit, and juices. It was a long day for Felicity food-wise.

While the girls had a spa day, Tommy and Oliver had taken William to the zoo and then for ice-cream, accompanied by Diggle and Lyla. They even had pizza, but that was a secret they were taking to their graves. If Felicity and Diane got wind of it, the boys were afraid for their lives.

When it was time to get ready, Thea had to return to the Mansion as she was going to the gala with her parents, but Diane and Tommy stayed; they had brought their things to get ready at the hotel.

Oliver and Tommy got ready in William’s room, as the ladies had kicked them out to get ready. William was having a pajama party with Lyla, while the others were at the gala and Lyla was smug about it. she was going to be having fun with William, while the others were at a boring function. They were already in their pajamas picking movies.

It was quite the sight, their living room; Lyla and William were in pajamas on the floor with pillows, blankets, and toys, Diggle was wearing a suit and sitting on the sofa playing angry birds, while Tommy and Oliver were wearing tuxedos and watching basketball, while they were waiting for Felicity and Diane.

Felicity snapped a few pictures and sent them to everyone when they came out of the bedroom, ready to leave.

“Don’t you ladies look gorgeous,” Lyla grinned, snapping the men’s attention to them.

Felicity was in the [beautiful blue dress](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898685482/) she had chosen with Thea and her [new Jimmy Choo shoes](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898687419/), which complimented her [necklace](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898639246/), [earrings](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898685548/), and [ring](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898686433/) perfectly. She had her hair up and had chosen natural makeup and a red lip. Oliver’s cuff links were the same blue as her dress, courtesy of Thea.

Diane wore [a silver and light grey dress](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898756422/) that matched perfectly with Tommy’s bow tie and cuff links. She had her hair in a half updo and had silver glitter in her eye makeup.

“Do we really have to go to the gala?” Tommy cleared his throat.

“Maybe we can skip it?” Oliver asked hopefully. Felicity knew that look he had, it meant that he wanted to carry her to bed, immediately, but they had to go to that thing. Maybe they could leave early-ish. Those suspenders did things to her.

“We’re going to the gala,” Diane rolled her eyes.

“But if you play your cards right, we can leave early,” Felicity grinned at her husband.

“It’s going to be a long night,” he groaned.

“Come one, boys, let’s have the costumery pictures taken and then kiss William goodbye; we need to get going soon,” Diane said.

Diggle took a few pictures and then they said goodbye to William, who loved seeing his mama and Auntie Diane in the pretty dresses. Felicity turned in a circle and the little boy giggled happily clapping his hands.

The cars were waiting for them at the front of the hotel, along with a small army of reporters. They ignored them all and got in the cars. Tommy and Diane were arriving first and then Oliver and Felicity; Diggle was taking the long route to the venue.

“Are you ready?” Oliver asked her when it was time to get out of the car.

“No, but let’s get it over with. The sooner we get out, the sooner we’ll get it over with, and the sooner I’ll eat. Thea had us on a strict regime today.”

“You’ll do great,” he kissed her and knocked on the window to let Diggle know they were ready.

The older man opened the door and the second the reporters got sight of him the flashes went off like crazy. People were calling his name and yelling questions. He ignored them and helped Felicity out of the car. He took her hand and Felicity interlaced their fingers. Oliver kissed her cheek and they started walking on the red carpet.

They had already agreed that they were going to pose for a few photos, but they weren’t going to answer any questions. Tommy and Diane were waiting for them inside of the entrance to get inside together.

And that’s what they did. They ignored all the questions and then they met their friends when they thought they were on the red carpet enough.

“Well, they certainly are excited about you two,” Tommy chuckled.

“I don’t get why they aren’t like that with you two; we’re not that interesting,” Felicity said. “Well, we are, but that’s none of their business.”

“I’m the reformed playboy that disappeared for four years, while my parents told everyone lies, and then I resurface with a wife and a son. It’s like Christmas for them,” her husband said as they entered the ballroom the event was taking place.

“Everyone is staring,” Diane said with a sigh. “You rich people are so full of drama.”

“You thought it was just Thea?” her boyfriend smirked.

“I thought it was just you, honey-bear,” she smirked back. Tommy lost his smirk and let out an offended ‘hey’, making the other three chuckle.

“I don’t like you very much right now,” Tommy rolled his eyes.

The Ashcrofts welcomed them and showed them to their table, which unfortunately included Oliver’s parents, though they hadn’t arrived yet. They met with other people and Felicity and Diane were introduced to several new faces, thankfully they saw some familiar ones, too. Walter Steele and the Johnsons were at the same table as them.

Tommy’s dad arrived shortly after them, alone, and he was genuinely happy to see Oliver and Felicity, contrary to Moira and Robert who arrived after him with [Thea](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898685875/). Moira kept glaring at Felicity and more specifically at the necklace she was wearing.

“My, my don’t you ladies look gorgeous this evening she said when she reached them.

“Hey, Speedy. We’re here, too, you know,” Tommy rolled his eyes, getting up to greet her.

“Oh, I know,” she grinned hugging Felicity. “This dress is a dream.”

“And it is surprisingly comfortable, too,” Felicity said hugging her sister.

“It goes perfectly with her skin tone,” Diane said hugging Thea next.

“I love your dress, Di. It compliments you nicely. How come I hadn’t seen it till now?” she frowned.

“Because You helped Felicity get her dress and I didn’t buy a new dress,” she shrugged. “Though, you need to introduce me to that designer; if Tommy wants me to accompany him to those things, he’s buying the dresses.”

“The dresses, what goes under those dresses, whatever you want babe,” Tommy smirked and also earned an elbow to the stomach from his girlfriend.

“Gross, Tom-Tom,” Thea rolled her eyes. “And I’m introducing you to him and a couple of others,” Thea assured her. “And we need to find some designers at Boston, too.”

“Yeah, we do,” Felicity nodded, as Thea and the other couple took their seats. Thea, of course, sat with them and not her parents.

“I’ll ask around. Now, tell me, where’s the little berry?”

“With Lyla building pillow forts and watching movies.”

“Lucky kid,” the teen sighed dramatically. “So, what’s new?”

“You were together all day,” Oliver frowned.

“It’s been three hours, who knows what could have happened,” Thea shrugged. “By the way, did you notice that mother dearest is wearing my big diamond necklace tonight?”

“Uh-huh. Trying to make a statement, I suppose,” Oliver said. “But I’m not the one glaring at her or her jewelry.”

“It’s my jewelry, thank you very much,” Thea corrected him.

“The jewelry she’s wearing,” Oliver relented.

“True, brother of mine.”

“So, Thea how’s Leonard?” Diane asked and Oliver let out a sigh. He was still not used to his sister having a boyfriend.

“He’s good. He’s over at his best friend’s watching football or something. We’re going out for burgers tomorrow,” she said. “I need it after nearly starving today.”

“Amen, sister,” Diana and Felicity said together.

“Hey, that’s a good idea, maybe we can go to Russo’s tomorrow for dinner, all of us,” Felicity suggested.

“Oh, can we?” Thea beamed.

“We certainly can, if Diane and Tommy don’t have any other plans?” Oliver turned to his best friend.

“Nope, no plans,” he said. “We’re not passing on the chance for some quality time with the fam, who knows when we’ll see you again.”

“Tommy, you’re flying over next month,” Felicity tilted her head.

“I’m the one who doesn’t know when I’m seeing them again,” Thea pipped.

“I promise, you’ll see us soon enough, plus Will is staying with Tommy and Diane while we’re on our honeymoon,” her brother said.

“You don’t happen to know where we’re going or when would you Thea?” Felicity asked with an innocent smile.

“Nice try, Felicity,” Thea grinned. “I’m not telling you. It’s a surprise, but I promise, you’ll love it.”

They sat around the table for some more and then they decided to do some mingling. They talked with a variety of people, some old friends of the boys, and even some exes, which was a little awkward; they had a lot of them. Of course, Thea enjoyed every minute of it. Until she didn’t.

“Tool alert,” Tommy said quietly.

“Carter Bowen?” Oliver flinched.

“Oh, jeez,” Thea groaned. “He’s got Laurel with him.”

“That’s Oliver’s ex, right?” Diane asked.

“Yeah, and our relationship was … explosive,” he winced. “Maybe they won’t come over.”

“No such luck, darling. They are heading straight for us,” Felicity said, and Oliver pulled her closer to him as if to protect her. Felicity kissed his cheek in return.

“Ollie Queen!” Carter Bowen exclaimed.

“Carter, Laurel,” Oliver said tightly.

“Ollie,” Laurel purred at him, making Thea, Felicity, Diane, Tommy, and Oliver raise their eyebrows at her.

“Tommy, Thea, how are you?” Carter grinned.

“We’re good,” Thea said cutting Tommy off before he could speak.

“And I don’t believe we’ve met your companions,” he looked at the two men.

“Well, this is Diane, my amazing girlfriend,” Tommy said proudly.

“And this is Felicity, my wife,” Oliver said proudly.

“Oh, right! I read your interview! You have a kid, too. Congratulations,” he said sincerely.

“Thank you,” Felicity smiled.

“Well, she says it’s Oliver’s kid,” Laurel said. “We haven’t seen the kid, we don’t know what he looks like, it may not be Ollie’s at all.”

“Excuse me!” several people said together all pissed.

“Many have tried to coerce Ollie into marriage,” she said with a fake smile.

“Yourself included,” Felicity said. “But do you know what’ our difference, Miss Lance? I never forced Oliver to do something he didn’t want to do. I never demanded we get married. When you love someone, when you truly love them, things come naturally. I love and respect him. And if you ever talk about our son like that again, you’ll meet our lawyers who are very protective of him,” Felicity said coldly.

“In fact, you will stay away from all of us,” Thea said firmly.

“Or what?” Laurel glared.

“Or I will post your naked ass on my IG and kiss your DA dreams goodbye,” Thea said with a raised eyebrow.

“You have nothing.”

“I have your naked ass in Carter’s car, though don’t worry Carter, you can’t tell it’s you,” she said to the man.

“It’s time for you to get over your dream of becoming Mrs. Queen, Laurel. We were never good for each other and it’s time to move on. but if you ever disrespect my son or my wife again, I won’t be so nice,” Oliver said in a low voice that sent chills down Felicity’s spine.

“I think it’s time to take your date away from here, Mr. Bowen,” Diane said.

“Have a nice night,” Carter nodded and practically dragged Laurel away.

“Remember how I told you the Ledger wanted me to write a piece on tonight’s gala?” Diane turned to her boyfriend.

“Didn’t you say no?”

“I did,” she pulled her phone out and texted the Editor-in-Chief. “Let’s see if they still want me to.”

“Go crazy, if she sues, I have you covered. No one talks like that about our family,” Tommy said firmly.

“I can’t believe she said that William is not your son!” Felicity growled.

“Who cares what she thinks? Will is my son, nothing is going to change that. And no matter what she tries, my relationship with Laurel was a mistake from the start. I love you and only you. And I couldn’t be happier or prouder to call you my wife,” Oliver said tenderly and kissed her lovingly.

Thea snapped a picture of them and posted it on her IG:

_I know that I often tease you for being lovey-dovey, but I’m so happy you’ve found each other, and I get to call Felicity my sister. Doubly glad I get to witness toxic people who are trying to drive you apart, getting put in their places. I love you both so much_ _❤❤❤❤❤(But If we can minimize the PDA, I’d love that_ _😜😜😜) #Olicity #bestbrotherever #sistefromanothermister #love #truelove #socute #prettydresses #galavibes #soreexes #iwantburgers_

“It’s a beautiful photo,” Diane said looking over her shoulder.

“Laurel will have nowhere to hide when I’m through with her,” Thea said decisively.

“I don’t like her,” Diane said.

“You shouldn’t; after Ollie broke up with her, she tried seducing Tommy.”

“oh, did she?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Uh-huh. Tommy shut her down, of course, but she still did.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she nodded.

By the end of the night, people were talking about how loving a couple Oliver and Felicity are and how it takes the right person to bring the best of you out. The photographers had snapped several pictures of them looking lovingly at each other, one of them made front page at the Ledger. Diane’s article was published the day after that, and even though she didn’t name any names, when she described the incident, everyone knew who she was talking about. Plus, Thea’s post had gone viral. People loved #Olicity.

That night, after they had gone back to the hotel, said goodnight to the Diggles and kissed William goodnight, Felicity was very possessive of Oliver and he loved every minute of it.

They spent most of the following day with Thea, Diane and Tommy, as it was their last day before going back to Boston. Thea described in detail how sore their mother was about Felicity wearing the jewelry she had been wearing for so long, and especially that necklace; a piece their grandma never allowed her to wear while she was alive. Their goodbye was a tearful one; Thea didn’t want to go back to the Mansion, but it was getting late; she had school the following day and Oliver, Felicity and William (who had fallen asleep on his dad) had an early flight.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm horrible, I know. But this lockdown has done a number on my inspiration and mental state. It's not been easy the last couple of months. But, I have FINALLY finished this chapter and I'm here to give it to you! I have been working on it for one bloody month! It's never happened before! But here it is. The next chapter is the last one, and I will take a break from multi-chapter stories after it so that I can focus on my next multi-story, though I might drop a one-shot here and there. My sister has been on my case about that. she is excited about this particular story, and she is not satisfied with the half chapter I have written and the three pages of notes I have made. Go figure. Do you want me to give you a hint about that story? let me know in the comments! And of course, let me know what you think about this chapter! Thank you for being patient! I couldn't ask for better readers! Stay safe and don't forget to leave me a comment!

Even though Felicity was going to miss Diana, Thea and Tommy, she was glad they were finally home. The first night they were home, they had their friends over and ordered pizza. William was very excited to see his aunts and uncles again and even more so because they were having pizza.

They caught each other up on what had happened, even though they were on the phone often while the Queens were in Starling, and they ate until they couldn’t move. William had fallen asleep on Oliver soon after he ate his pizza. It was adorable.

They spent the next three weeks looking for the perfect house for them. They finally chose a six-bedroom Queen Ann house with a detached parking space (It even had a second floor for storage). On top of that the house had an attic and a basement. The garden was massive, and it even had a pool. It was outdated and it needed some serious renovation, especially so since Oliver hated the kitchen, but they could see themselves living there and having Sunday BBQs with their family. They bought it.

Oliver spent the next week looking for a reno team and he booked an appointment for after they were to return from their honeymoon.

“So,” he grinned sitting down next to his wife, who was watching William play with his LEGOs. “We’re leaving tomorrow at eight a.m.”

She looked at him confused until she realized what she was talking about. “For our honeymoon?” she asked with an excited smile.

“Yes,” he dipped his head to kiss her. “We’re spending one night in Starling to drop William off and have dinner with Tommy, Diane, and Thea, and then we’re flying to our destination.”

“Which is?” she asked innocently.

“Nice try, Felicity. Nice try,” he glared playfully.

“It was worth a shot,” she shrugged. “William, it’s time for bed, baby.”

William got on his little feet and put his LEGOs in the LEGO bin. He tried to put it back in its place, but it was too big for him. Oliver got up and helped him and then scooped his son in his arms.

“Let’s go get ready for bed and choose a book,” Oliver kissed his cheek.

“Otay!”

Felicity picked up some odds and ends around the living room and then joined her boys, to tuck William in. When their son was sound asleep, Felicity headed for the kitchen to give it a quick clean before they sat down for a movie.

Oliver found her just as she was drying her hands. He picked her up and placed her on the counter.

“No movie, then?” she giggled as he kissed her neck.

“I have plans, for you,” he said huskily. “We have to warm up for our honeymoon. I don’t plan on leaving you out of the bed much.”

“Is that so, Mr. Queen?” she moaned as his lips found a sensitive spot.

“Why, yes, it is, Mrs. Queen,” he kissed her lips and then helped her get her shirt off.

Diane was waiting for them with snacks as they had been on the plane during lunch and it would be some time before they went out for dinner. William was happy to see her and after Diane let go of him, the little boy ran to his toys.

They had made reservations at Russo’s for six that evening, so they spent most of the time with Diane and William. Felicity and Diane talked mostly about what Will’s routine consisted of etc., while Oliver decided to join William’s music band. He was partial on the xylophone.

Oliver and Felicity left around 16:00 to check in their hotel, shower, and get ready. They were meeting Thea, Diane, Tommy, and William at the restaurant.

“I half expect a reporter to pop from behind a car or something,” Felicity said on the elevator ride.

“I hope not,” Oliver frowned. “We’re incognito, no one should figure out that we’re here.”

“Well, yes, but it’s weird that no one is chasing us with a camera like last time. I like it.”

“Me, too. This is why I’ve done my best to ensure that no one will know we’re here, at least until we’re long gone,” her husband said kissing her head.

They arrived at the restaurant at the same time as Thea who rushed over to them and hugged them tightly. “I missed you!” she grinned.

“We missed you, too, Speedy,” Oliver kissed the top of her head, while Felicity chuckled at her antics.

“Where’s my nephew?”

“He’s with Diane and Tommy,” Felicity said. “Diane texted me, they are already inside waiting for us.”

“Oh, thank god! I’m starving!” the teen exclaimed and almost dragged them inside.

When they reached their table, Thea downright ignored Tommy and Diane and hugged William, planting kisses all over his face, making the little boy giggle. “Aunt Thea missed you, buddy!”

“It’s like we don’t exist!” Tommy rolled his eyes.

“A taste of your own medicine, Merlyn,” she stuck her tongue out.

“Children,” Diane chuckled.

“You’re going to have your hands full, Diane,” Felicity said sympathetically.

“Oh, don’t I know it. At least, William is well behaved,” she grinned.

“I take offense at that,” her boyfriend said mock glaring.

They had a good time the six of them. Thea caught them up on all the gossip and how everyone was still talking about Oliver and what their parents had done, which was hilarious to Thea. She told them about the Starling Prep drama and how everyone wanted to be her friend just so they could learn about Oliver and his life in Boston.

Felicity got a little clingy when it was time to go; William was going with Tommy and Diane as they were leaving early the next morning and she had trouble letting go of her baby boy.

During their flight, Felicity spent half the time trying to trick Oliver to tell her where they were going and the other half making plans for the future. And they joined the mile-high club, too.

Felicity almost screamed when she realized they were going to spend the next week in Bali. It was wonderful and amusing to see her facial expressions, which was part of the reason why Oliver wouldn’t tell her where they were going.

They spent the next week between the beach and their bungalow, relaxing and enjoying each other. They Skyped with the Starling crew once a day to see their son, but other than that, no phones were allowed. Which was fine with Felicity; she had better things to do, specifically her husband.

When it was time to go, Felicity had mixed feelings. One on hand she was a little sad to leave behind that beautiful place, but on the other hand, she really wanted to see her baby boy again. Plus, they had to prepare for the reno, the upcoming holidays and then there was the matter of the Klaroline wedding. They had promised to help them chose the caterer.

It took one week to find the renovation crew and another to iron out all the details and the house wouldn’t be ready until the new year; there was a lot to be done, especially since they were gutting the house.

“Klaus’s mother wants to throw a black-tie dinner to make up for the people she couldn’t invite to the actual wedding and Caroline is freaking out,” Felicity to her husband one evening in November.

“Why is she freaking out?” he frowned.

“Well, as a doctor she is super busy and now she needs to find a dress for the occasion and meet a gazillion new people on top of keeping Klaus from fighting with his father or Finn. And I get the impression that she and Klaus’s mother aren’t the best friends,” she explained.

“I see,” he kissed the top of her head. “I’m sure Thea will make the event interesting, at the very least.”

“I hope she will be able to attend.”

“I can tell you that she is not missing it for anything in the world. Remember that she is a Drama Queen?”

“Uh-huh. You love every minute of it,” she grinned.

“Well, yes, I do, but that’s completely irrelevant,” he rolled his eyes.

“Yes, honey,” she giggled. “Now, how about you go order us some pizza and I will pop a movie in? I feel like cuddling with my amazing husband.”

“How can I refuse an offer like that?” he kissed her neck and went to find the phone.

Klaus and Caroline were hosting Thanksgiving that year, and it was rather interesting. Evidently, both their mothers were trying to intervene with the wedding planning, which didn’t bode well for them since Thea was in charge. They witnessed some interesting phone calls on the day. Caroline was just about ready to start banging her head against the wall.

“What if we get Thea here and just elope?” Klaus suggested as they sat down to eat.

“It’s so very tempting at the moment,” Caroline sighed. “I swear to god, you two had the best wedding ever!” she said to Felicity and Oliver.

“I can’t argue with that,” Felicity agreed.

“It would be a vastly different experience if my mother was involved,” Oliver commented shuddering.

The Queens in Starling were spending the holiday at the Merlyn Mansion with the Merlyns, Diane and some other important people. [Thea](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/718183471825882235/) spent the whole time ignoring her parents and talking with Tommy and Diane about their other family. Tommy said that Moira had a sour expression the whole day.

Hosting Christmas at their place was a bit tricky, space-wise, for Felicity and Oliver, but they managed. William had no problem whatsoever going from lap to lap cuddling and playing. Thea, Tommy, and Diane joined them through Skype.

After Christmas, Felicity, Oliver, and William flew to Starling for three days to surprise Thea. They had made reservations at Russo’s for Boxing Day, and Tommy was tasked with bringing Thea there. Thea had no idea.

“You’re here! Oh my god! You’re here!” she had exclaimed tacking them with hugs. That had earned them quite a bit of attention and they ended up on the tabloids two days later, but it was mild thankfully.

Tommy and Diane joined them at Damon and Lexie’s for New Year’s that year. Thea kept glaring at them for a whole week. She was forced to spend the day with stuck up people. It was torture, she had said.

After that it was full on wedding mode for Thea, which meant that they were all running around obeying her commands. No one had the courage to say no to her. No one was brave enough, especially so after her and her boyfriend broke up. That had been messy and the boys didn’t know how to treat her. They were walking on eggshells around her even if they were in different sides of the country. It would have been hilarious if Thea wasn’t so sad. Which lasted about a month and a half, just in time for the black-tie even Klaus’s mother had put together.

Caroline and her mother-in-law didn’t get along all that well. Esther Mikaelson gave off Moira Queen vibes and no one was really fond of that, or that she made Caroline feel uncomfortable and unworthy of Klaus. So, they came up with a plan. Caroline could choose jewelry from Oliver and Felicity’s vault, whatever she wanted, and their side was going to do their best to give Esther a taste of her own medicine. Thea was the mastermind, of course, but Klaus backed her up.

And since Esther was footing the bill, Thea had sent Caroline to a designer she knew for her dress. She almost chose a black gown. Almost. But Felicity managed to change her mind. Instead, she chose a gorgeous [ancient Greek styled gown](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/2392606039572778/) that resembled a wedding dress. Plus, Caroline felt like a goddess in it.

Felicity chose [a forest green sparkly gown](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/8162843047535656/) and Lexie decided on [a red and gold one](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898688348/). The men were going to wear black tuxedos.

The event was taking place the night before the actual wedding. Which only served to freak Caroline out even more. Thea flew in four hours before that. And her being her unique self, she had a unique colored dress. [Thea’s dress was yellow](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/79094537189259498/). They all ended up at Felicity and Oliver’s almost finished house to get ready. The upstairs was complete, so they could use the space to get ready and the built-in safes to keep the jewelry from the vault safe.

Thea had burrowed a pair of diamond and black pearl [earrings](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124896764203/), Felicity decided on a pair of multi stones [earrings](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898547703/) and a set of three diamond and emerald [bangles](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124896833508/), Caroline chose a pair of gorgeous diamond and pearl [earrings](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898626664/) and a diamond and pearl [bracelet](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898685597/), and Lexie went for a pair of yellow gold, diamond and ruby [earrings](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898625527/). 

Felicity had arranged for a beauty team for that day and the following day of the wedding to glam them up, so they had one less thing to worry about.

Lyla was staying at the apartment with William, having a pajama party. Caroline begged Lyla to switch. It didn’t work. Klaus promised her he was going to make it up to her.

“Oh, wow,” Oliver gasped when he saw them at the top of the stairs.

“You all look amazing,” Klaus said, “but I think my fiancée outshines you.”

“Do we really have to go to the thing?” Damon asked, staring at his wife intently.

“Oh, no, buddy,” Klaus said. “If we have to go, you have to go. Believe me, I’d much prefer joining Lyla and Will for their pajama party, but alas no can do.”

“Stop whining,” Thea rolled her eyes.

“I love the pop of color, kiddo,” Damon said.

“Thanks,” she beamed. “I figured my mother wouldn’t like it if I showed up in a yellow dress in one of her galas, so Esther won’t either. No offense, Klaus.”

“None taken. I love it, by the way,” Klaus said as each woman went to her significant other and Thea joined Oliver and Felicity.

“You look beautiful,” Oliver said to his wife, kissing her neck.

“thank you. You look rather handsome in your tux, too.”

“Come on, then. It’s time to go,” Thea said, and they all reluctantly left to go to the cars.

They were half an hour early than what the invitations said, but Klaus’s mother still let them know they were late and didn’t seem to be happy to see the others. She was wearing black.

“Thank god, you didn’t go for the black dress,” Felicity said to Caroline as they made their way inside.

“No kidding. It would have been a nightmare,” Caroline nodded thankfully.

Truth to be told, everyone was thankful that Thea was there. Without her commentary things would have been plain and boring. It was just like any other boring gala, so they were all thankful for her presence. And of course, she took lots of pictures and posted some on her Instagram. They went viral. Especially one of Oliver and Felicity dancing and looking at each other’s eyes, like nothing else mattered.

“I’m starving,” Thea said after the guests had left. Only them and Klaus’s family were still there and Diggle, of course.

“BBB is still open,” Oliver offered.

“Bro, we have to wear some gorgeous but fitted dresses tomorrow, we can’t eat burgers. Or pizza.”

“Chinese?” Damon offered. “I know a place.”

“Are we really going out to eat wearing black tie outfits?” Caroline looked at them like they were crazy.

“I’d like to remind you that we’re wearing jewelry that costs more than I make in a year,” Lexi added.

“How do you feel about cooking, hon?” Felicity looked at her husband innocently.

“I can’t say no to you, can I?” he smiled down at her.

“Whipped,” Klaus and Damon said together.

“You have no room to talk, whatsoever,” Theas reminded them.

“I’m whipped and proud of it. Now, how about we head to our place? I’m sure I can through something together quickly enough?” Oliver said.

“I love you so much right now!” Caroline groaned. She was starving. The food had been bad.

“Hey!” Klaus said in mock protest.

“I love you, too,” she kissed his cheek. “But, Oliver is cooking for us, so, I love him, too.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

“Come on, boys and girls. We have a wedding tomorrow, and we need to get at least eight hours of sleep after we eat. Plus, Tommy and Diane are arriving at noon.”

“Thea is right. We have a big day ahead of us, tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait,” Klaus smiled at his soon to be wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, there! Leave me a comment! I'd love to hear what you have to say!


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so emotional right now. I've spent most of the day working on this chapter, trying my best not to cry too much. Because this is it. Well, Kind of. I plan to add a handful of one-shots in this universe, but I don't know when exactly. I have gotten attached to this story and it is hard for me to see it end. And I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for sticking with it until the very end. 
> 
> As I said in the previous chapter, I will take a break to focus on my next multi-chapter story (it takes place in Greece and I have so many ideas and it is all thanks to melerick921), but I may post a one-shot here and there, depending on what I have already written. Speaking of writing, I plan on doing a series ( after the next multi-chapter, or possibly at the same time who knows with me) with different ways Oliver and Felicity could have met and another one with the possible moments they could have gotten together, they won't follow cannon necessarily. I would absolutely love to know what you would like to see on those series. 
> 
> I think I am going to end this note right about now, because I'm still emotional and I'm kind of crying and my sister is making fun of me. Remember, I love to hear your thoughts, so drop me a comment, yeah? And never forget, stay safe! 
> 
> Until the next time ❤❤❤

The day of Klaus and Caroline’s wedding dawned bright and early Well, not early. Around midday and only because the couples’ mothers wouldn’t stop calling. Caroline almost threw her phone down the toilet. After all, it was well after three in the morning when they had gotten home.

“Maybe we can stay in bed and ignore them?” Caroline mumbled in Klaus’s chest.

“Sure, only Thea will come looking for us and she will break down the door and then drag us out of the bed and yell. Not to mention what our mothers will do.” He said amused. It resulted in Caroline groaning louder.

“Fine,” she admitted defeat.

“Come on, Let’s get up and I will make us some coffee. I should be out of here in thirty minutes, or else Thea may actually kill me.”

“How do you think our mothers will react when they realize we didn’t spend 24 hours away from each other?” she asked as they left their bed reluctantly.

“Well, that plan was out the window the moment my mother decided to have that gala the night before the wedding,” he said opening the window.

“True.”

They had a quick breakfast before Klaus grabbed his things and left for Damon and Lexie’s place, barely five minutes before Thea and Felicity arrived, followed by Lexie a few minutes later.

“Good morning! Ready to get hitched?” Thea asked with a huge smile on her face.

“SO ready!” Caroline hugged her.

“I’m so excited for you guys! It’s going to be amazing!” the teen exclaimed.

“It sure is, as long as Esther behaves, of course.”

“Leave her to me. If she says anything, I will handle her,” Thea assured her. “Now, go shower and put [this](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/173529391881891303/) on. The beauty team will be here in forty-five minutes and Diane should be here in half an hour or so.”

“Alright. Make yourselves at home and I will be back soon. There is coffee in the kitchen.”

With Diane’s arrival, the ladies formally started their day getting ready and enjoying themselves. The downside was that they couldn’t eat much other than salads and fruit until the reception, because their dresses were fitted.

The beauty team arrived shortly after Diane and they pampered the girls. It was like a spa day, only shorter. An hour later, the other bridesmaid, Bonnie, and Caroline’s mother arrived, along with another of her school friends, Elena.

It wasn’t long before it was time to get ready. The [bridesmaids](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/46936021104927614/) went first and then Caroline’s mother and Elena got dressed before they helped the bride in her [wedding dress](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898404700/).

“So,” Thea said moving forward and standing before Caroline. “As per my tradition, this is for your something new and something blue,” she said and slipped an [eternity ring](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898442747/) on the bride’s finger.

“Oh, Thea! It’s beautiful!” Caroline said emotionally, pulling her in a hug. “Thank you.”

“You are very welcome,” Thea smiled at her, stepping back.

“And for your something burrowed,” Felicity stepped forward. “I had Oliver ran to the vault this morning. He dropped them off while you were in the bathroom,” she said producing a pair of [diamond and pearl earrings](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124896764208/).

“Oh, wow,” Caroline breathed seeing them. “They’re gorgeous.”

“They were our grandma’s, so they can double as your something old, too, if you need them to,” Thea said.

“They look very expensive,” Elena commented.

“They are, but don’t sweat it.”

“Thea! These probably cost more than I make a month and not to mention they belonged to your grandmother!”

“Caroline, just enjoy your day. Oliver said don’t sweat it, and since technically they are his, you should listen,” Felicity rolled her eyes. “Here, let me,” she said and proceeded to put them on her.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely.

“Our pleasure.”

“You look beautiful, darling,” Caroline’s mother said emotionally.

“Thanks, mom. Are the boys ready?”

“Yes, they are. [William](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/48765608454745711/) is dressed, Damon has the [rings](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898509818/) in that beautiful [geode box](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/ASA8AxvyUeWdoNB-Kk0avjlqfnsli_6rUitQEZLGScNpCgDNaWjcbXE/), Klaus is dressed in his tux and currently pacing, and they are leaving in five minutes, and we are leaving in fifteen,” Diane said to the bride. “Tommy sent me pictures and everything.”

“At the venue, everything is ready and waiting for us. The guests should start arriving in forty-five minutes or so,” Thea added.

“Ready to get married, Caroline?” Lexi asked.

“So ready! And then Only Diane and Tommy will be singles,” she grinned at Diane.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Diane blushed. “I mean, I know Tommy is it for me, but we’re not together all that long.”

“Well, Oliver knew he wanted to marry Felicity since their first date,” Thea shrugged.

“We did that a little backward, but I don’t think that it matters how long you’ve been together. When you know, you know,” Felicity said.

“Not to mention that Thea has already a binder for your wedding. Notes and everything,” Caroline said casually.

“Let’s get you married first, alright?” Diane said weakly, her blush betraying her emotions.

“Let’s!”

“Ready to get married, Klaus?” Damon asked his friend, putting on his jacket.

“I am. I’ve been looking forward to joining the married men’s club for quite a while,” Klaus grinned.

“We should make a secret handshake now that we get new members,” Oliver joked.

“Speaking of, when are you popping the question, Tommy?” Klaus asked.

“Not yet. I plan to, though. Diane is it for me and I’ve known for a while now. But I don’t want to push. But worry not, I will pop the question and I will let you know in a timely manner,” he assured them.

“Good,” Oliver clapped him on the back. “Don’t wait too long though, or Thea may just ask Diane for you,” he said making the rest snicker. “Ready, Will?” he turned to his son.

“Yeah, daddy,” the little boy said with a big smile. He was excited to wear a big boy tux, just like his daddy and his uncles.

“Remember, when it is time, you will walk with Henrik, Klaus’s little brother, and then you have to give the pretty box to Damon, okay?” he asked his son gently.

“Yes!” the little boy exclaimed. “Henrik will help me, cause I have the pretty rings and I have to be super careful,” he nodded.

“That’s right, Will,” Oliver said with a smile.

“I think it is time for us to go,” Elijah, one of Klaus’s older brothers, said.

“In five minutes, El,” Freya, the oldest Mikaelson child, said to her brother. “We don’t want to be too early.”

“Just as long as we leave in time,” Esther said.

“We will,” Damon said firmly.

“Yeah, no one wants Thea coming after us,” Klaus chuckled. “She’ll skin us alive.”

“How is it that grown men are so terrified of a little teen girl?” Finn half sneered.

“Oh, man,” Tommy chuckled. “You have absolutely no idea how scary Thea is and how much damage she can do. And these guys have it easy, I live in the same city as her, I’ll take the burn of it!”

“You realize she calls _all_ the time, right?” Oliver raised an eyebrow.

“Or that she doesn’t need to be here in the flesh for us to be running for cover?” Damon added.

“Yeah, well, after Diane and I returned to Starling after spending New Year’s here, other than glaring for a whole week, she would randomly drop by our place and bang the door every time we were about to have s-e-x. For a whole month! She is vicious.”

Oliver had to bite on his lip to keep from laughing. Damon sneakered and Klaus downright laughed.

“Oh, shut up!” Tommy rolled his eyes.

“Ouch, man,” Kol said in solidarity.

“You have no idea.”

“Is it time to go already?” Mikael, the father, asked annoyed.

“We should start getting to the cars,” Rebecca, Klaus’s little sister, said trying to defuse the situation with their father before it even started. It was Klaus’s day, and the old man was not going to taint it. “Oh, my, my, little William! You look so handsome!” she beamed at the adorable little boy.

“Thank you!” he giggled shyly.

“You’re very welcome! Will you save me a dance?”

“I don’t know how to dance,” he frowned adorably.

“Don’t worry, little man. Uncle Tommy has you covered,” Tommy winked at his godson.

“Already a ladies’ man, eh Will,” Klaus teased his pseudo nephew.

“Just don’t tell Felicity,” the boy’s dad said.

“Alright-o, it’s time to go!” Kol announced looking at his watch.

The [venue](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/71142869089807499/) was decorated in midnight blue and gold colors with some royal purple hues and lots of fairy lights, giving it a celestial vibe. The guests were already there and waiting by the time Klaus, his party, and his family arrived. They quickly took their places. Henrik entertained William with help from Rebecca and Freya, having a good time.

About fifteen minutes later, the bride arrived with her gang.

“Are you ready, Caroline?” her mother asked.

“I am,” she nodded.

“I’m going to check that everything is in order and get your father,” she nodded and went off, followed by Elena.

“I’m so excited!” Thea exclaimed.

“Me, too, kid. Me, too,” Caroline said with a big smile.

Caroline’s parents came a minute later with Henrik and William.

“oh, baby! Don’t you look handsome!” Felicity said to her son.

“You are pretty, mamma,” he placed a sloppy kiss on his mother’s cheek. “Coco, you pretty, too!”

“Thanks, Will! You’re so handsome in your tux!”

“Ready?” Henrik asked taking William’s hand.

“Yes, let’s get this party started!”

Lexi gave the signal and the [music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghZt2cILcCU) started. Caroline’s mother went first and when she had taken her seat the bridesmaids followed her. Bonnie was first, as she was going to be the one farthest from the bride, then Thea and Felicity. A few moments later, Lexi followed them and then Henrik with William. When everyone was in their places, Caroline followed with her father.

Klaus could barely sit still, anxious for Caroline to finally reach so they could _finally_ get married. And then he saw her, and Damon had to elbow him to keep him from running to her.

“You look so beautiful,” Klaus said emotionally when they reached him.

“Well, you look rather handsome,” she smiled at him doing her best not to cry.

They both turned to the official performing the ceremony and he started by welcoming everyone.

Five minutes into his speech, Klaus thought that it was taking way too long for them to say ‘I do’ and he started glaring at the guy, which had Damon pocking him more than once. People were noticing and he was making it difficult for Damon to reminisce about his wedding, which was annoying. Oliver, for his part, found the whole thing amusing, though he couldn’t take his eyes off his own wife, thinking back to their own wedding.

Thea found the whole thing amusing, but sweet, too. They all pretended they were big scary men, but deep down they were marshmallows, and her brother was chief among them. She only wished that she could find someone like that, too.

When it was time to say ‘I do’, Klaus barely let the man finish his sentence, which had more than a few people snickering. And the moment the official said ‘I pronounce you husband and wife’, Klaus pulled Caroline in his arms ad kissed the living daylight out of her. Who cared about wedding protocol anyway?

Their friends couldn’t help but laugh at their antics, but Thea made sure to say ‘gross’ loud enough for them to hear, teasingly.

The next thirty minutes were spent taking pictures before they could finally get inside the glass barn where the reception was taking place and get warm again. Of course, the men offered their jackets to the ladies in between shots, but it was still chilly.

After the [cake](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898509769/) cutting and the [first dance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzWq7qwUMv4), more couples joined Klaus and Caroline on the dance floor, including Oliver and Felicity. Thea was entertaining William at their table.

“You know how they say that weddings are for hooking up?” Oliver asked his wife.

“Yeah,” she frowned slightly up to him.

“I’ve never hooked up in a wedding,” he stated.

“Me neither,” She grinned mischievously.

“Interesting, Mrs. Queen,” he grinned back.

“I think we will manage to sneak away for a bit at some point, right?”

“Oh, I definitely plan on it,” Oliver said and leaned down to kiss her.

Aurora Irene Queen was conceived that night, entering the world 41 weeks later. It was only natural that Klaus and Caroline were her godparents. Aunt Lexi delivered her, just like her big brother William, but this time, Felicity had her epidural.

A few weeks after Aurora’s birth, MGG decided to open offices in Boston with Tommy on the helm. In turn, Tommy asked Diane to move with him to Boston, and he was afraid that she’d say no, but he had no reason to worry, really. She agreed easily. Thea was the big problem. She was not happy that she was going to be alone in Starling, but they all promised to fly over as frequently as they could. And it was only for a year. She had her sights on Harvard. She had even made sure that her parents would ‘overhear’ that Oliver and Felicity had left Massachusetts. They didn’t but it would make it easy for her parents to enroll her and pay for Harvard. It was perfect. Of course, meeting Roy made things a lot better for her.

Tommy proposed to Diane the night after their housewarming party (it was more like a family dinner with everyone there). After searching for months for the perfect ring, Tommy decided to use [his mother’s engagement ring](https://gr.pinterest.com/pin/379006124898619654/). Diane said yes.

Malcolm insisted on having the wedding in Starling City, sparing no expanse for his only son’s wedding. It was memorable. Laurel Lance had managed to attend as someone’s plus one, and Moira and Robert Queen were there, too. After that, though, they had a party in Boston to celebrate with their friends. Thea was all over it.

Damon and Lexi had their first baby five months after Tommy and Diane’s wedding, a baby girl named Oriana Salvatore. Six months after that, Hope Mikaelson was born.

Thea got into Harvard to get her MBA, but not for the reasons her parents thought. She took wedding planning courses at the same time. She had grand plans. Roy had followed her to Boston and he got a job. Everyone was surprised when they realized he got a job at the bar Felicity and Oliver had met.

Tommy and Diane’s first baby came a year after Thea and Roy’s arrival, Rebecca Dione Merlyn. She was the first of four.

By that point, Felicity was the IT Head at Boston MGG, and Oliver’s charity was well known and respected. They all volunteered there, but none more than Roy. Oliver’s respect for him grew just because of that. Roy took some online classes, as well, and it came as a huge surprise when he decided to become a pastry chef. He ended up making the best cakes in all of Boston. When Thea officially became an event planner, he only worked with him.

On Thea’s twenty-sixth birthday, Roy proposed. They got married a year later, which was a great shock to her parents, because they didn’t really know that Thea was in a relationship, much less one so serious. They weren’t fans of Roy, though, just because he was from the Glades. That didn’t go down well with Thea.

**Ten Years After Klaus and Caroline’s Wedding**

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. The weather was warm, but not too much, and the sun shone. The entire Queen-Merlyn-Mikaelson-Salvatore-Diggle-Harper clan was at the garden of the Queen house for their monthly BBQ.

Felicity, Thea, Diane, Lyla, Lexi, and Caroline were lounging by the pool, sipping their nonalcoholic cocktails. Diggle was manning the grill, occasionally accepting help from the others, because evidently white boys didn’t know how to grill a good burger, and the other was sipping on their beers watching the children chase Uncle Roy.

Well, most of the kids. Jonah Queen, Connor Diggle, Sophie Salvatore, and Nicolas Mikaelson were too young to even walk. They were perfectly content to play with each other in the playpen. Quiver, the Queen pitbull pup, kept a close eye on them.

Emilia Queen, Hermes and Helen Merlyn (twins), Sara Diggle, Brielle Mikaelson, and Anastasia Salvatore were more than happy to chase after Uncle Roy with their older siblings.

“Damon, do you remember when I told you guys, I wanted to propose? Remember what you asked me?” Oliver asked his friend startling them. It was a little out of the blue since they were talking about NBA.

Damon frowned, thinking back over twelve years. “I think I asked you where you see yourself in ten years, didn’t I?”

“You did,” Oliver confirmed. “Remember what I told you?”

“Something about having BBQs at the back yard, our kids playing, and rings on Felicity’s ring fingers, if my memory serves me.”

“Yeah, and this,” he waved his hand around, “this is exactly what I meant,” he said with a happy smile on his face.

That’s all that he ever wanted.

A loving family.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment Comment Comment Comment Comment Comment Comment


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